Summary: Many of our veterans return home wounded not only physically and also in the spiritual, moral, and emotional sense. Because these wounds are invisible, many times the pain and suffering goes unnoticed and untreated. Such is not the case for individuals that find Soldier’s Heart. An organization that uses a comprehensive model to treat the wounds that the rest of us simply just can’t see. On today’s episode of Changing Direction, I spoke with Dr. Edward Tick, founder of Solder’s Heart. He shared insights from his groundbreaking book, War and the Soul, plus offered support for the holiday to military and veteran families. In our conversation we covered: the definitions of trauma and identity how trauma affects identity the role of identity in recovery veterans stories about post-trauma experiences and healing how we make meaning after trauma tips for how to reduce stress during the holidays About my guest: Edward Tick, Ph.D. is an internationally recognized transformational healer, psychotherapist, writer and educato. He is Founding Co-director of Soldier’s Heart, a non-profit veteran healing initiative. He is an expert on veterans, PTSD, and the psychology of military-related issues and has conducted trainings, retreats and workshops across the country and overseas. He was the U.S. Army’s Expert Trainer in PTSD for its 2012 Chaplain Sustainment Training, training over 2,000 military chaplains in the holistic and spiritual response to PTSD. Ed has trained staff and conducted retreats at numerous DOD and Veteran facilities, including West Point, Walter Reed Medical Center, Forts Bragg, Hood, Knox, Altus Air Force Base and VA hospitals across the country. Dr. Tick is the author of the groundbreaking book War and the Soul: Healing Our Nations Veterans from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. He is also the author of The Golden Tortoise, The Practice of Dream Healing and Sacred Mountain, as well as over 100 articles. His next book, Warrior’s Return: Restoring the Soul After War will be published on Veterans Day 2014. Ed is a tireless advocate for war-healing and peace-making, lecturing around the world and leading semi-annual educational, healing and reconciliation journeys to Viet Nam and Greece. His organization Soldier’s Heart is an NGO in Viet Nam. Ed is a gifted healer, teacher and guide. He specializes in using psycho-spiritual, archetypal, cross-cultural, and international reconciliation practices to bring healing, ttransformation and hope to veterans, communities and nations recovering from the traumas of war and violence.
