“What signs did I miss?” “Are people judging me?” “Should I even be in this field?” The suicide of a loved one triggers many thoughts and emotions in survivors. When the survivor is a mental health professional, those thoughts and emotions can be even more complicated, leading them to question their own skills and capabilities.
On 1 June 2026, the Center for Deployment Psychology officially becomes the Consortium for Defense Psychology, continuing to use the acronym CDP while embracing a name that better reflects who we are today and where we are headed tomorrow.
While our name is evolving, our mission remains unchanged.
3.3%
The percentage of 7,034 individuals surveyed who "seriously thought about shooting another person in the past 12 months," according to a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open -- Prevalence of Thoughts of Shooting Others Among US Adults.
Often in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia workshops, the personal reactions of the providers attending to recommended interventions is palpable in the room – even when the room is virtual. On the surface, so many of the interventions are counterintuitive: Reduce time in bed when a person is that sleep deprived? Don’t go to bed early even if they actually feel sleepy for once? Wake up early on weekends even without any schedule obligations? Don’t relax in bed before bedtime? Of course, once we explain the rationale things seem much more logical.
I recall evaluating and treating an adolescent from a military-connected family who had moved frequently over several years. Each relocation meant adjusting to new schools, routines, and peer environments, changes the family navigated with resilience but that made consistency difficult to maintain. He had engaged in treatment with several providers over time, had several diagnoses, and his caregiver continued searching for support as progress felt limited.