For more specific treatment information and resources for each of these groups:
Active Military & Veterans
First Responders
Family Members
Beverly has a strong family history of military service, many years as a volunteer clinician at the West Coast Post-Trauma Retreat (WCPR), and extensive experience in private practice working with responders, military, and veterans. She has a clear understanding and awareness of the unique stressors experienced by these clients, as well as the strength, determination, and resilience they possess.
While there are similarities between first responders and active military/veterans and their psychological issues, Beverly is also aware of the differences in these clients. Post-traumatic stress injury is often complicated by the fact that many first responders are former military personnel and have carried that trauma into their current jobs.
EMDR Therapy has been found to be very effective at treating military personnel, veterans, first responders, and their spouses. For a brief description of how it is used with these clients, please read this article by Dr. E. C. Hurley, retired US Army Colonel and psychologist: An Overview of EMDR Therapy Treatment for Military Personnel/Veterans and Spouses
Military personnel and first responders voluntarily put themselves in harm’s way in order to protect others. They run toward the gunfire, into combat, and into the burning structure. They work through the night, sometimes going days with little or no sleep. They tolerate conditions that most people cannot. They set aside their own comfort for the greater good. They witness and experience incidents that most people can’t even conceive of. And they’re expected to act as if it’s no big deal, just carry on.
There is a significant toll on physical, mental, emotional, and relational aspects of their lives that until recently has not been acknowledged. Suicide and violence rates are high among these populations, and recently there is growing concern and attention for caring for these human beings who have been injured while protecting everyone else.
At the same time, their family members live with uncertainty and disruption to routine. Families of active military personnel on deployment may not see their loved one for long periods of time and may experience multiple moves. Families of first responders have to adapt to parents working night shift or mandatory overtime. When the loved one does come home, he or she may be irritable and exhausted, or may still be on hyper-alert mode from work. These factors can take a big toll on family life.