September 2, 2020

Who Is a Healer, Really?

A doctor, with many years of formal education and training, may or may not be a healer. In some cases, the way a doctor practices is the reason why a veteran drops out of treatment, never to return. But a “Doc,” someone who builds the kind of deep trust veterans had in the service with their medics—that person is a healer.
September 2, 2020

What is a “Moral Injury?”

Based on more than a decade of walking with warriors in the trenches of mental warfare, I’ve observed that there are a number of fundamental paradoxes about the nature of moral injury that are not captured in our current understanding.
September 2, 2020

Are Post-Traumatic Stress and Moral Injury the Same Thing?

Although they have some overlapping challenges, Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) and Moral Injury are not the same thing. A service member or veteran may have PTS, Moral Injury, or both. The mental state of someone with PTS is that of someone who feels unsafe...
September 2, 2020

Is Combat Trauma the Most Common Source of Trauma Among Warriors? (No, not usually).

Many people in society—including a fairly large number of therapists—seem to think that veterans come back traumatized by what they see and do in combat.