Blog posts with the tag "Military Families"

Staff Perspective: Surviving Military Families: Supporting Parent-Child Relationships

By Elizabeth Burgin  on 10.06.2026 10:13 am
Elizabeth Burgin, Ph.D.

There are military families living quietly among us who carry a weight that most of us can scarcely imagine. They are the spouses whose hearts shattered at the loss of their partner and experienced another shattering as they found words to tell their children that their parent would never come home. They are the children who learned, at ages far too young, to live without their mom or dad. Surviving military families — those who have lost a service member parent or spouse — benefit greatly from a mental health community that understands the unique dimensions of their loss and is equipped to meet their needs.

Staff Perspective: Supporting Military Youth Through Better Sleep

By Shantel Fernandez Lopez  on 20.05.2026 10:40 am

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.

Staff Perspective: Adaptation and Absence - Voices of Military Children Across the Deployment Cycle

By Jennifer Nevers  on 06.05.2026 11:02 am
Jennifer Nevers

In honor of the April's Month of the Military Child, this blog highlights the voices of three children as they reflect on the emotional and practical realities of growing up in a military family. As the second part of a two-part series, it offers a closer look at one family’s experience navigating preparation, separation, and connection throughout the deployment cycle.

Staff Perspective: Beyond the Checklist - The Hidden Work of Preparing for Deployment

By Jennifer Nevers  on 08.04.2026 11:07 am

Preparing for deployment involves more than checklists—it’s a deeply personal process that impacts both service members and their families. This blog shares a firsthand perspective on the challenges of balancing professional readiness with the emotional and practical realities at home. It offers insight into how support and preparation can ease this transition.

Staff Perspective: The Quiet Work of PCSing - How Rest and Connection Build Resilience In Military Families

By khristine heflin  on 04.03.2026 2:49 pm

I have served on the Military Child and Family Collaboratory, here at the Center for Deployment Psychology for almost four years now. A part of that work has been the valuable insights that I have gained from, providers, policy makers, advocates and families at our bi-annual convening events. One common theme is that our military families are often described as resilient, even as military youth face unique circumstances and navigate settings and situations marked by constant change. Hearing this theme repeated led me to look more closely at how resilience is supported and defined within military families.

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