Guest spot- “F*ck The Rules” Podast with The Sweary Therapist. “Trauma Doesn't Have To F**k With You Forever: Hope In Being Human”
My guest, Don McCasland, LCSW-CCTP, owner and therapist of Warrior Elder Counseling, is back to discuss processing trauma. We also discuss many things about humans and trauma, how it affects some persons, how other folx manage to tackle their symptoms, and how others continue in their struggle.…
Guest spot- “F*ck The Rules” Podast with The Sweary Therapist. “Ain't No F*cking Shame Here - Calling Out B******t and Supporting Active Duty Military Persons and Veterans”
It was my pleasure to host this episode's guest, Don McCasland, owner and licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) of Warrior Elder Counseling. He provides therapy for active duty military, veterans and their significant others. (Originally aired 16 Aug, 2022)…
Starting The Conversation- Explaining PTSD and What We Carry
Doing what I do, I hear people share their stories pretty much all day, every day. I’m thankful and honored they feel comfortable enough to share. Inevitably, as the day goes on, I'll think of my own journey, and the pain I carried for years. The pain because of the wound in my soul I brought home…
“I’m just one person- what am I supposed to do?!” PTSD and how family can help
So… you’re a family member, friend or member of the community that wants to ask a veteran about their experiences. Many times people in this position may think “What am I supposed to do? I’m just one person!”- and that’s OK…
“I can’t stop feeling hopeless. I’m done.”
I’ve spoken about my past thoughts of suicide when I was in the middle of my struggle with PTSD, but I feel like I really need to let people know exactly where I was and what happened to get me to that point…
Father's Day and What We Teach Our Kids
Sometimes we come across things that we laugh at, but then later think- “Huh… that hit kinda close to home”. That happened to me when I saw an article from one of my favorite sources of humor- “The Onion” on social media. The Onion (for those who don’t know) has some really snarky and sarcastic news stories and articles. It’s ALWAYS irreverent, often inappropriate, sometimes awkward and cringe-inducing. In honor of Father’s Day, one of the articles they posted had a nice picture of a father and son...
“The Emptiness” and when you can’t stop feeling depressed
"People think we kill without any thought, but they don't know what we live with after"
“When they did that to me, they robbed me of something that I can’t get back”
I hear statements like this all the time. To sit across from fellow combat vets and trauma survivors and hear them say these things, or to be emailed or messaged them on social media from friends I served with…
Robbing ourselves, & how our obsession with anger will ruin what we hold dear.
One thing that’s almost a near-constant in my work with my Brothers and Sisters is various kinds of negativity. Anger, resentment, hostility, outright hatred. It seems like folks have lots to be angry and hateful about...
PTSD Therapy for Veterans and How does PTSD Therapy Work?
“Intensive cognitive therapy for PTSD gets patients better faster…”
“Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one type of counseling. Research shows it is the most effective type of counseling for PTSD. The VA...
"Civilians just don't get it!"... and neither do we.
“People just don’t care. They live their sheltered lives and have no idea what we’ve been through!!”
“How can they possibly understand? They’ve never deployed before!”
“I never got counseling because I don’t need some [expletive] who’s never walked in our boots to tell me what I need to do!!”
As someone who works with active duty military, veterans and their family members I hear these statements (and more) on an almost daily basis. As a combat veteran who struggled...