Veterans & First Responders

Based on over two decades of research and clinical experience, I have written extensively on the unique issues impacting veterans and first responders and am regularly called upon to speak to military and law enforcement organizations and those who serve them.
Research

I have developed, directed and consulted on numerous private and federally funded research studies of veterans and first responders with a particular emphasis on developing and evaluating effective treatments for combat and duty-related PTSD. The focus of these studies includes:

Risk and Resilience Factors for the Development of PTSD
PTSD Prevention
Group Psychotherapy for PTSD
Individual Psychotherapy for PTSD
Medication Treatment for PTSD
Impact of PTSD on Biological & Brain Functioning
Sleep Disturbance
Substance Use
Spouse/Partner Functioning
Impact of Warzone Deployment on Parents of Military Service Members
Impact of Critical Incident Exposure on Law Enforcement Personnel

Authorship

In addition to authoring dozens of peer-reviewed manuscripts on findings from the studies outlined above, I have co-written two books for Veterans and their families, a chapter in a resource guide for attorneys defending Veterans facing criminal charges, and a chapter on Critical Incident Stress in policing:

Courage After Fire: Coping Strategies for Returning Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans and Their Families http://www.courageafterfire.com/
Courage After Fire for Parents of Service Members www.courageafterfire.com
Impact of Warzone Deployment in the OCDLA Guide for Dealing with the OR Veteran Defendant Crisis https://libraryofdefense.ocdla.org/Public:Subscriptions
Critical Incident Stress in the Handbook of Police Psychology https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Police-Psychology-Applied/dp/0415877660

See CV for full citations and list of manuscripts

Clinical and Training Services

The primary focus of my clinical practice is on the treatment of Veterans and First Responders and I conduct trainings for Veterans’ organizations, law enforcement agencies, and those who assist them.

See Workshops and Trainings for a list of training topics

Veterans

While at the San Francisco VAMC, I evaluated and treated Veterans from WW II to the War on Terror and trained and supervised numerous mental health practitioners in providing specialized treatments for combat-related PTSD. I continue to collaborate with colleagues at the San Francisco and Palo Alto VA’s in developing preventive interventions and treatments for military personnel and veterans.

In Oregon, I am proud to have served as a treatment provider for The Returning Veterans Project and have been frequently called upon to provide consultation and training services to this non-profit organization providing pro bono services to veterans and their families. https://returningveterans.org/ In addition, I have provided consultation and training services to the Oregon National Guard, the Military Child Education Coalition, and the Portland VA Spouse Caregiver Program.

First Responders

I provide post-incident psychological debriefings to over 50 First Responder agencies across Oregon and Washington. In addition, I am regularly referred First Responders and Corrections Officers in need of consultation or treatment by union reps and attorneys, human resource departments, and concerned supervisors. (Please note that because my focus is on the support and treatment of first responders, I do not conduct Fitness for Duty Evaluations.)