I recently watched a very powerful video by famed author and filmmaker Sebastian Junger, entitled “Why veterans miss war”. As part of the TED Talk series, he discusses his experiences in Afghanistan and what he learned about the soldiers he spent time alongside.
Today Dr. Holly O'Reilly introduces the new CDP Summer Institute (CDPSI). The CDPSI is an innovative, 6-day program for doctoral students in clinical and counseling psychology. This pilot training affords the opportunity to become acquainted with the possibilities of becoming a military psychologist.
In my role at the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP), I was recently asked about transitioning from military service to civilian life. The specific question asked was how case managers can identify a normal reaction to mourning the loss of identity due to leaving military service versus behavior that could be indicative of a clinical problem/disorder. I think it is a great question and one that many case managers, providers, and even Service members may have.
In a recent Op-Ed published by the Washington Post, Captain Benjamin Summers discussed how "hero worship of the military" and Service members is counter-productive. Dr. Paula Domenici takes a look at this article and examines how some of the same problems can arise during therapy.
This time around we'd like to do something a little different and take a moment to point our users to the excellent piece in the Washington Post, "A Legacy of Pain and Pride" written by Rajiv Chandrasekaran.