Dear Veterans & Military Families,
On this page are some of the self-hosted and outside resources that I frequently reference while consulting and coaching with other trauma survivors like you.
Everything on this page is freely available because:
- Trauma suuuuuuucks, doesn't it?! I wanna help however I can.
- You're my people! I come from a *very* loooong line of volunteer veterans and was even born overseas when my dad was still an Army Ranger. My grandpa fought in the Marines (WWII, Iwo Jima). I can track multiple ancestors back to the American Revolution.
- Business-wise, for anti-rape culture and trauma-sensitive reasons, I don't require an email address in exchange for "freebies." Of course, you're welcome to consensually join my non-spammy newsletter here. :-)
There's so much more where this came from! If you ever want to schedule a coffee or networking chat, let's make it happen!
Founding Director, Peterson Resilience Consulting
PS - Feel free to share this page with whomever you'd like or connect with me on LinkedIn!
Featured Offerings
for Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families
Sessions À La Mode
Trauma-Informed Coaching & Consulting
Consulting is like ice cream; we want what we want how we want it—occasional support on the side, sessions scheduled under a big project, a special calendar container, or a cherry on top of your recurring sessions. Sessions À La Mode are the answer to your flexible scheduling needs and are available in bundles of 1, 3, or 6 sessions. Each session is 50 minutes of 1-on-1 attention with Emily Ann Peterson.
Resumé Review + Refresh
Your best reason they should book an interview!
Bring a current draft of your most recent CV or resumé. Let's turn each line into the pinnacle of your professionalism. and make it read like "Hired!"
Tidying Session
You get brave clarity & I get to clean!
You've got questions to clear up about your life, career, and creativity? Maybe you've got some marketing questions? Or you'd like to know the best way to automate a certain piece of your life. Well, Emily Ann's got a house to Marie Kondo! Let's join forces! Reserve your spot in Emily Ann's calendar today!
Military Sexual Trauma (MST)
"Military sexual trauma is any sexual activity in which a Service member is involved against their will, such as being pressured or physically forced into sexual activities, sexual contact without consent, sexual messages or nonconsensual sharing of intimate images and videos, and threatening and unwanted sexual advances or comments. MST can occur while on or off duty and while on or off base. People of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and branches of service have experienced MST." ~ mentalhealth.va.gov
How Common? An estimated 1 in 4 female veterans and 1 in 100 male veterans in the VA healthcare system report experiencing MST. It is important to note that by percentage women are at greater risk, but nearly 40% of veterans who disclose MST to VA are men. ~ dav.org
- MST Factsheet (.pdf)
- VA Disability Compensation for MST Fact Sheet (.pdf)
- MST videos from Women Veterans Network
- Protect Our Defenders (POD) is the pre-eminent national human rights organization dedicated to ending sexual violence, victim retaliation, misogyny, sexual prejudice, and racism in the military and combating a culture that has allowed it to persist.
- AboutFace's MST page—lots of videos & stories from other veterans
- Sharp Increase in Sexual Assaults in the US Military: Statista summary
- The 2019, 30-page report put out by the DOD titled "Metrics and Non-Metrics on Sexual Assault" (.pdf)
- Hill & Ponton Disability Attorneys has an impressive collection of MST statistics with an informative video related to the legal case issues and why it's important to report your sexual assault. (Note: They do issue a trigger warning prior to beginning, but I'll issue one here too.)
- Why the Military has a Sexual Assault Problem—article on Frontline, PBS
LGBTQ Veterans
- American Bar Association's LGBTQ Webinars & Legal Resources—webinars and panel discussions on upgrading discharges, records corrections, name changes, and other resources
- Breaking the Silence—an oral history of LGBTQ veterans and service members; a groundbreaking 51-minute film chronicling the lives and experiences of five LGBTQ Oregonians who served their country with honor.
- American Military Partner Association—has an impressively long list of resources, categorized and everything!
- American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER)—offering an email discussion group, legal consultations, and more
- Podcast episode from She Wears The Boots titled "LGBTQ Care in the VA"—interview with Dr. Jillian Shipherd, LGBT Health Program Director at VA Central Office
- MakeTheConnection—Why it's important to come out to your healthcare providers
- Oregon Department of Veteran Affairs—they've freshly updated resource page, applicable to those who live out of state too
- Justia: Military Service Members' Rights—an updated list of the current legal issues facing LGBTQ service members and veterans
- Available Healthcare Services for LGBTQ Veterans
- Name Corrections for Transgender Veterans (.pdf)
- Do Ask, Do Tell: Pursuing Justice for LGBTQ Veterans (.pdf)— a summary report from a two-day summit held at Harvard Law School on April 19 & 20, 2018; from the folks at Legal Services Center
- Modern Military Association of America— the largest organization of LGBTQ service members, military spouses, veterans, their families and allies.
Scholarly Articles
for Veterans, Service Members, Military PTSD and Military Sexual Trauma (MST) Survivors & Families
Connect with Emily Ann Peterson on Academia.edu
Search the PTSDpubs database here & FAQs here!
- Ruben, M. A., Livingston, N. A., Berke, D. S., Matza, A. R., & Shipherd, J. C. (2019). Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Veterans' Experiences of Discrimination in Health Care and Their Relation to Health Outcomes: A Pilot Study Examining the Moderating Role of Provider Communication. Health equity, 3(1), 480–488. https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2019.0069
- Lee, E. A. D., & Theus, S. A. (2012). Lower heart rate variability associated with military sexual trauma rape and post-traumatic stress disorder. Biological research for nursing, 14(4), 412-418.
- Blais, R. K., Brignone, E., Maguen, S., Carter, M. E., Fargo, J. D., & Gundlapalli, A. V. (2017). Military sexual trauma is associated with post‐deployment eating disorders among Afghanistan and Iraq veterans. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 50(7), 808-816.
- Gehrman, P. R., Harb, G. C., & Ross, R. J. (2016). PTSD and sleep. PTSD Research Quarterly, 27(4), 1-10.
- Germain, A. (2013). Sleep disturbances as the hallmark of PTSD: where are we now? American Journal of Psychiatry, 170(4), 372-382.
- Southwick, S. M., Pietrzak, R. H., Tsai, J., & Krystal, J. H. (2015). Resilience: an update. PTSD Research Quarterly, 25(4), 1-10.
- Moore, R. (2022). Exploring the Effects of Workplace Bullying on Productivity and Absenteeism among Veterans a Correlational Study
My Grandpa's WWII Memoir
Yes, that *is* him on the cover! Here is how his story starts:
"By choice, chance and God’s hand, I survived some extremely trying times in the Marine Corps during World War II.
I decided not to get mired in the horrors or waste of war. Tomes have been devoted to this subject. I choose instead to tell of my life as a Private, a grunt if you will, and how this life impacted on me. As a telephone lineman for the United States Marine Corps, I had the greatest opportunity to see more of the combat area than most participants.
I have often been asked, “How did you cope with death as an everyday fact?” I tell of losing eight buddies on one day on Guam. We acknowledged the loss then moved on. “What is past is past.” We did not dwell on one or multiple losses. We simply moved on. Yesterday was an age away, this is today, we hope to see tomorrow. Perhaps cruel, but it retained our sanity. Those who stand and wait have not shared this burden.
Lest you think I am portraying myself as some kind of hero -- let me remind you, they never asked me if I wanted to go on these combat landings to Bougainville, Guam, and Iwo Jima."
"I was not a hero, but I walked among heroes." ~ Eugene H. Peterson
Military PTSD
- AboutFace—features the real stories of Veterans who have experienced PTSD, family members, and VA clinicians. By watching the videos on AboutFace, you can learn about PTSD, explore treatment options, and get advice from others who have been there.
- VA Treatment options & VA Programs available for PTSD
- MakeTheConnection—view stories from veterans based on the years they served
- Understanding PTSD Booklet (.pdf)—This eight-page booklet explains in detail the various ways to treat PTSD effectively and debunks some myths about treatment.
- Writing Your PTSD Stressor Statement Guide (.pdf)—The folks at Swords into Plowshares guide you step-by-step through the process of preparing an effective stressor statement for your PTSD claim.
- Guidelines for a Mental Health Evaluation (.pdf)—an outline for a comprehensive evaluation by a mental health professional, so you know you're getting the best care available.
Miscellaneous Resources
- American Bar Association Military & Veterans Legal Center—brings together all of the ABA entities, programs, and projects focused on legal services for military personnel, veterans, and their families, and provides access to all of these ABA resources to both the public as well as legal professionals.
- The Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN)—the voice of all military women – past, present, and future. They are a member-driven community network advocating for the individual and collective needs of service women.
Music & Retreats
SongwritingWith:Soldiers
This organization holds weekend retreats across the U.S. for veterans from all conflicts. Previous musical experience is not required. Since 2012, they have connected with hundreds of veterans and military families, creating a safe and inspiring environment to share their experiences and write songs with professional songwriters. The songs have been recorded and streamed across the internet, reaching and connecting more veterans and raising civilian awareness of the challenges the military community faces.
Rifles & Rosary Beads
The eleven deeply personal songs on this album, all co-written by Mary Gauthier and participants at SongwritingWith:Soldiers retreats, reveal the untold stories and powerful struggles that these veterans and their spouses deal with while in the military and after returning home. Nominated for a Grammy Award in 2018 as “Best Folk Album,” this collection has earned universal praise and truly shouldn’t be missed. A portion of every sale benefits SongwritingWith:Soldiers.
Mobile Apps
The following collection of apps are from the VA; the full list of apps is here.
Many of them have been downloaded by hundreds of thousands and are highly rated.
VetChange
Can help users with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) build skills to reduce problem drinking. Offers proven self-help tools that build skills to help you stop or cut back on problem drinking.
STAIR Coach
STAIR is an evidence-based cognitive behavioral form of psychotherapy designed to help with emotion regulation and interpersonal relationship problems.
PTSD Coach
Can help you learn about and manage symptoms that often occur after trauma. Includes tools for screening and tracking symptoms.
Insomnia Coach
Created for everyone, including Veterans and Service members, to help manage insomnia. The app is based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I).
Mindfulness Coach
Mindfulness has been shown to be helpful for reducing stress and coping with unpleasant thoughts and emotions. Mindfulness Coach will help you practice mindfulness meditation.
PTSD Family Coach
Provides support for concerned family members. It can help you learn about PTSD, how to take care of yourself, and how to manage your relationship with your loved one or children.
Couples Coach
Created for partners who want to improve their relationship and explore new ways to connect. It also includes relationship information specific to couples living with PTSD.
Beyond MST
Created for survivors of military sexual trauma (MST). The app offers information and resources to help survivors improve their health, relationships and quality of life.
ACT Coach
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) aims to help you live with unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and impulses without avoiding them or being controlled by them.
AIMS for Anger Management
AIMS is designed to help you manage anger and irritability. Based on the VA online course Anger and Irritability Management Skills.
Career & Employment
- American Corporate Partners (ACP)—a national nonprofit organization focused on helping returning veterans and active duty spouses find their next careers through one-on-one mentoring, networking and online career advice.
- IVMF Entrepreneurship Bootcamp—The EBV opens the door to economic opportunity for veterans by developing competencies in the many steps and activities associated with creating and sustaining an entrepreneurial venture.
- HireHeroesUSA—provides free job search assistance to U.S. military members, veterans and their spouses, and helps companies connect with opportunities to hire them.
- The DOD SkillBridge program—an opportunity for Service members to gain valuable civilian work experience through specific industry training, apprenticeships, or internships during the last 180 days of service.
- CareerOneStop—Veteran and Military Transition Center is a one-stop website for employment, training, and financial help after military service.
Veteran Entrepreneurs
- Support Women Veteran Owned Businesses
- Coalition for Veterans Owned Businesses—This first-of-its-kind national initiative supports the success of veteran, service member, and military spouse-owned businesses by connecting them with entrepreneurial education and training, small business resources and solutions, and commerce and supplier opportunities.
- IVMF Entrepreneurship Bootcamp—The EBV opens the door to economic opportunity for veterans by developing competencies in the many steps and activities associated with creating and sustaining an entrepreneurial venture.
- Veterans in Residence—a business incubator that provides veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs and business owners with coworking space, local community, a national business network, and targeted support to grow their business.
- VetsinTech—supports current and returning veterans with re-integration services, and by connecting them to the national technology ecosystem. VIT is committed to bringing together a tech-specific network, resources, and programs for veterans interested in Education, Entrepreneurship, and Employment