Counseling Veterans: A Practical Guide

Counseling Veterans: A Practical Guide equips readers with foundational knowledge of military culture and common issues experienced by service men and women. This crucial text helps future and practicing counselors compassionately and competently treat individuals who serve or have served in the United States armed forces.

The book opens with chapters that discuss military culture and building a therapeutic alliance, providing readers with rich context for treating service men and women and guidance for relationship-building with this specific population. Additional chapters cover common issues veterans face, including war trauma and PTSD, suicidal ideation, traumatic brain injury, depression, and substance use disorder. Female veteran issues, family issues during deployment, and moral injury are addressed. The final chapter provides guidance for counselors with regard to personal wellness, secondary traumatic stress, and imperative self-care measures. Each chapter features learning objectives, definitions, research-based literature on the topic, treatment options and programs, a clinical vignette, perspectives from veterans, and discussion questions.

Designed to help readers build critical competencies, Counseling Veterans is an ideal text for advanced courses in counseling. It can also serve as an essential guide for practicing counselors.

Keith J. Myers is dean of clinical affairs and associate professor at Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta. He is a licensed professional counselor with extensive training in treatment for trauma and PTSD. He holds a Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision from Mercer University. Dr. Myers' clinical specialties include EMDR therapy, combat stress and trauma, veterans' advocacy, and secondary traumatic stress among trauma therapists.

W. David Lane is a licensed professional counselor and licensed marriage and family therapist with over 40 years of experience as a counselor, counselor educator, and supervisor. He earned his Ph.D. in counseling from Georgia State University. He is professor in the Department of Counseling and founder of the masters and Ph.D programs in counseling at Mercer University. Dr. Lane specializes in trauma and couples counseling.