Staff Perspective: Moral Injury, PTSD, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Additional Resources
Peer-review articles related to ACT and moral injury:
Borges, L.M. (2019). A Service Member's experience of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Moral Injury (ACT-MI) via telehealth:“Learning to accept my pain and injury by reconnecting with my values and starting to live a meaningful life”. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 13, 134-140.
Farnsworth, J.K., Drescher, K.D., Evans, W.R., & Walser, R.D. (2017). A functional approach to understanding and treating military-related moral injury. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 6(4), 391-397.
Nieuwsma, J.A., Walser, R.D., Farnsworth, J.K., Drescher, K.D., Meador, K.G, & Nash, W. (2015). Possibilities within acceptance and commitment therapy for approaching moral injury. Current Psychiatry Reviews, 11(3), 193-206.
Consumer-oriented workbooks engaging ACT processes for moral injury and trauma:
Evans, W.R., Walser, R.D., Drescher, K.D., & Farnsworth, J.K. (2020). The Moral Injury Workbook: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Skills for Moving Beyond Shame, Anger, & Trauma to Reclaim Your Values. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. https://www.newharbinger.com/moral-injury-workbook
Follette, V. & Pistorello, J. (2007). Finding Life Beyond Trauma: Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Heal from Post-Traumatic Stress and Trauma-Related Problems. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. https://www.newharbinger.com/finding-life-beyond-trauma
Clinician guides for ACT for PTSD and for spiritual struggles (common in moral injury):
Nieuwsma, J.A., Walser, R.D., & Hayes, S.C. (2016). ACT for Clergy and Pastoral Counselors: Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Bridge Psychological and Spiritual Care. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. https://www.newharbinger.com/act-clergy-and-pastoral-counselors
Walser, R.D. & Westrup, D. (2007). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma-Related Problems: A Practitioner's Guide to Using Mindfulness and Acceptance Strategies. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. https://www.newharbinger.com/acceptance-and-commitment-therapy-treatment-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-and-trauma-related
The opinions in CDP Staff Perspective blogs are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Science or the Department of Defense.
Wyatt Evans is a board-certified psychologist, staff psychologist in the VA North Texas Health Care System, and lead author of "The Moral Injury Workbook: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Skills for Moving Beyond Shame, Anger, and Trauma to Reclaim Your Values"
Andy Santanello, Psy.D., is a licensed, clinical psychologist and Military Behavioral Health Psychologist at the Center for Deployment Psychology. Dr. Santanello joined CDP after over a decade of service in the Veterans Health Administration where he was a staff psychologist in the Trauma Recovery Program.
Additional Resources
Peer-review articles related to ACT and moral injury:
Borges, L.M. (2019). A Service Member's experience of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Moral Injury (ACT-MI) via telehealth:“Learning to accept my pain and injury by reconnecting with my values and starting to live a meaningful life”. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 13, 134-140.
Farnsworth, J.K., Drescher, K.D., Evans, W.R., & Walser, R.D. (2017). A functional approach to understanding and treating military-related moral injury. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 6(4), 391-397.
Nieuwsma, J.A., Walser, R.D., Farnsworth, J.K., Drescher, K.D., Meador, K.G, & Nash, W. (2015). Possibilities within acceptance and commitment therapy for approaching moral injury. Current Psychiatry Reviews, 11(3), 193-206.
Consumer-oriented workbooks engaging ACT processes for moral injury and trauma:
Evans, W.R., Walser, R.D., Drescher, K.D., & Farnsworth, J.K. (2020). The Moral Injury Workbook: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Skills for Moving Beyond Shame, Anger, & Trauma to Reclaim Your Values. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. https://www.newharbinger.com/moral-injury-workbook
Follette, V. & Pistorello, J. (2007). Finding Life Beyond Trauma: Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Heal from Post-Traumatic Stress and Trauma-Related Problems. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. https://www.newharbinger.com/finding-life-beyond-trauma
Clinician guides for ACT for PTSD and for spiritual struggles (common in moral injury):
Nieuwsma, J.A., Walser, R.D., & Hayes, S.C. (2016). ACT for Clergy and Pastoral Counselors: Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Bridge Psychological and Spiritual Care. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. https://www.newharbinger.com/act-clergy-and-pastoral-counselors
Walser, R.D. & Westrup, D. (2007). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma-Related Problems: A Practitioner's Guide to Using Mindfulness and Acceptance Strategies. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. https://www.newharbinger.com/acceptance-and-commitment-therapy-treatment-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-and-trauma-related
The opinions in CDP Staff Perspective blogs are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Science or the Department of Defense.
Wyatt Evans is a board-certified psychologist, staff psychologist in the VA North Texas Health Care System, and lead author of "The Moral Injury Workbook: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Skills for Moving Beyond Shame, Anger, and Trauma to Reclaim Your Values"
Andy Santanello, Psy.D., is a licensed, clinical psychologist and Military Behavioral Health Psychologist at the Center for Deployment Psychology. Dr. Santanello joined CDP after over a decade of service in the Veterans Health Administration where he was a staff psychologist in the Trauma Recovery Program.