Support The Veteran's Program

Dr. Peter Bernstein of the Bernstein Institute has a long history of helping military service members resolve issues of trauma and PTSD related to their combat experiences. Veterans of wars from Korea, to Viet Nam, to the Gulf, and smaller conflicts in between, have been able to find peace and return to their everyday lives with a greater sense of wholeness because of our work. Our strong commitment to veterans from every generation began long ago and continues to this day. Now, our experience in helping vets is being called upon in a new and immediate way.

As soldiers return home from Afghanistan and Iraq, the American public and our military face an overwhelming challenge. Waves of troops are coming home with severe psychological wounds and they aren't getting the help they need to overcome them. As a result, they struggle to resume the lives they had before going to war and they are slipping through the seams in our cultural fabric. Because these men and women have risked everything for American freedoms, the Bernstein Institute is committed to helping them heal their invisible wounds.

Technology protects our soldiers physically now more than ever before. But modern warfare means that the psychological wounds of war are evolving as well. You can't see these wounds when your loved one returns from overseas, but as the psychological damage progresses over time, their mental and emotional health can diminish and their symptoms can take a devastating toll on your family. Many vets experience:

Migraines; nightmares; insomnia; poor attention; inability to focus or remember simple tasks

Trouble at work or school; heavy drinking; drug abuse; personality changes; problems with relationships; isolation

High-level anxiety; depression; episodes of rage; survivor's guilt; irritability; suicidal thoughts

Unfortunately, these wounds and symptoms seldom heal or subside on their own. They need help in order to heal. And the psychological wounds associated with Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) are somewhat unique.

In many ways, OIF and OEF are like previous conflicts in terms of troops' experiences. Our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq witness horrific acts of violence and have guilt over their own participation in those events. They are always on guard and aware of danger and their tension and anxiety doesn't turn off when they return to the U.S. However, the unique elements of these conflicts have reinforced the presence and severity of psychological wounding:

• Longer deployments
• Shorter leave time between deployments
• Frequent redeployment

Many soldiers have pre-existing traumas in addition to their combat-related traumas that intensify their symptoms and reactions. A history of trauma does not always make a person resilient during future experiences. Instead, it makes them more vulnerable.

Psychological wounds from any war or conflict are more difficult to treat because you can't see them and the soldiers themselves don't always understand what they are feeling. Also, soldiers are often hesitant to admit that they are struggling with their experiences because of the stigma associated with psychological issues. According to the Rand Corporation's Invisible Wounds of War, there is a significant gap between the number of soldiers returning from OIF and OEF in need of mental health care and the number of existing military mental health staff. Many soldiers aren't getting the help they need.

The Bernstein Institute is committed to filling this gap, while continuing to work with veterans of all generations and wars, and we need your help. We have the skills, the expertise, and the heart to help these wounded soldiers. Helping them live quality lives post-war is the best way to say "thank you" for their sacrifices.

At the Bernstein Institute for Integrative Psychotherapy and Trauma Treatment, we specialize in trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. With over 40 years of experience of helping civilians, and soldiers, heal and resolve trauma, we are confident that we can help returning troops find relief from their psychological wounds. Using our unique, highly effective modality of Reichian myofascial release therapy (RFMR), combined with counseling and psychotherapy, we have helped countless patients overcome horrific life experiences that took a toll on their physical and emotional health.

Dr. Peter Bernstein is a veteran of the Vietnam War era and has treated many veterans with the psychological wounds of combat. Each soldier receives a careful evaluation at our institute to determine his or her unique history and needs. The team of therapists and body workers at the Bernstein Institute then creates a treatment plan with each vet, involving individual, family, or couples counseling, group therapy, and body work.

We owe it to our veterans to give them the help they need. Their wounds may be invisible but are very real. They took a stand for us. It's time to take a stand for them.

How can you help? The Bernstein Institute Veterans Program can better serve returning troops with the help of donations and funding from corporations, foundations, businesses and generous individuals just like you. No donation is too small. We can help them more if we do this together. Please help us help them.

Please contact us to find out how you can donate!