WarriorNOW works with veterans to learn how to organize, process, reflect, and understand their trauma. The process is focused on a structured design and is facilitated by a veteran clinician. We start with a small group of veterans who after learning this design will tell their story in stages to the group. Through the processing of trauma they will learn about triggers, emotions, coping skills, thought patterns, and how all of those affect their behavior and how to take back control of their life. The intention of this group is to become comfortable with communicating a trauma story to share with others, as well as build the coping skills and self-concept needed to truly support oneself in life. After several months of working through this design, veterans will be given an option to tell their story to the public at the next Trauma Presentation (usually hosted around Memorial Day and Veterans Day) or sit on a panel and discuss how the process worked for them.
The benefits of participating in the next Trauma Challenge Group are endless and different for everyone. After processing trauma in a safe group of others who have been-there-done-that, some veterans find that telling their story publicly brings a deeper sense of healing or freedom from symptoms. Some veterans report having a new sense of purpose - "Maybe if I tell my story it will help someone else" For some veterans it builds a sense of confidence that felt missing, undeserved or non-existent in their life. It can reinvigorate their desire to pursue success personally, in their relationships, and professionally. It gives veterans the opportunity to share with the larger community the strengths and wisdom veterans bring to the table because of their unique life and military experiences. Some veterans appreciate having a platform to educate the civilian community about what the phrase "Thank you for your service" actually means. The best way to break through the military-civilian divide is to participate in activities that bridge the two - showing that we aren't that different in our experiences with trauma and recovery.
This group will be a weekly group that runs for 4 months. The group will be closed, meaning that once the group members are chosen, no one new will be able to join. We will only be able to accommodate 6-8 people in each group so that everyone has ample time to participate in the process. While the best benefit from this design is to attend in person, there will be a virtual option. If you are interested in attending the next group please register through this link. Once we reach the max number of participants we will add the remaining applicants to a waitlist for the next group. After you register, someone will reach out with more information.
**The next Trauma Challenge will begin in August 2023, specific start date is TBD**
Watch a video about the last Trauma Challenge HERE: https://warriornow.info/TraumaPresentation
