Three clinical psychologists and trainers at the Center for Deployment Psychology walk into a recording studio with a mission to create a mind-blowing podcast for you, our CDP family of providers.
In 1945-46 the American Psychological Association (APA) underwent a reorganization and merger with the American Association of Applied Psychology and 19 charter divisions representing various constituencies were established, Division 19 was Military Psychology. Dr. Maurice Sipos, current Division President noted that, “Next week at the APA 2021 Virtual Convention, The Society for Military Psychology will celebrate 75 years of steadfast support of the field of military psychology through research, advocacy, applied science and evidence-based interventions for service members, veterans and their families. I am proud of our continued commitment to this legacy.”
Over the years I’ve worked with a variety of patients and learned a few lessons along the way about efficiency… especially when it comes to the use of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies (EBPs). As a graduate student, I had very little exposure to EBPs and I was thoroughly immersed in existential and client-centered therapy. As I entered the military for my internship year I had my first introduction to protocol-based treatment and I was very skeptical. That year and the subsequent years have been transformative in the way I approach my patients' problems.
Providing therapy to military-connected clients with PTSD during the pandemic has raised my awareness about the intersection between trauma symptoms, COVID-19-related anxiety and distress, and military values that can help individuals cope with the outbreak like having good situational awareness, taking individual responsibility, applying discipline, and striving for the larger mission to maintain safety and protect others. My clinical work has also led me to think more about how the pandemic is impacting military members and their families overall.
Following up on Christy Collette’s piece on "Military Family Resilience during COVID-19," this week’s blog will share additional information about the unique impacts of the pandemic on military families. Using information gathered directly from five different military families during the first wave of COVID-19, this blog will highlight some of the important issues behavioral health providers should consider when working with military families.