Healing Veteran Moral Injury : Using Metaphor and Story to Foster Hope and Connection

Healing Veteran Moral Injury highlights the importance of story and metaphor in the change process and in trauma-related work.

Grounded in evidence-based practice and replete with clear, down-to-earth examples that foster empathy and understanding, Healing Veteran Moral Injury illustrates the ways in which building a sense of community can help restore trust and meaning-making. Chapters illustrate the power of stories and metaphors and help Veterans identify strategies for healing moral injury and posttraumatic growth. Clinicians and Veterans will come away from this book with tools for building connections, accepting what they cannot change, and developing a more accurate perception of responsibility.

Healing Veteran Moral Injury is intended both for mental health professionals and Veterans themselves as a tool for breaking the silence, pointing other Veterans toward hope and healing, and telling stories of moral pain with fortitude and courage.

Pat Pernicano, PsyD, holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from Baylor University. Her writing, teaching, and clinical work reflect her passion for trauma-informed healing with children, families, and Veterans.

Kerry Haynes, DMin, is retired, having worked as a mental health chaplain at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, an Army Reserves chaplain, and a pastor. His doctor of ministry work focused on group services for Veteran moral injury.