PTSD is a group of intrusive and avoidant symptoms that involve negative thinking and mood changes that can occur in anyone who may have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, rape, or has been threatened with death, sexual violence or serious injury. The most common elements of PTSD include mood changes, anxious responses, and sleep difficulties. The best way to deal with PTSD is to process the trauma and figure out what is in your control and what choices you can make to reduce your symptoms and improve your ability to be present, engage others and continue living your life.

Mayo Clinic: PTSD

Anxiety and stress suck! But the challenges of life from interacting with friends and family to coworkers, bosses, and strangers and everything else is not going away. If anything, as we get older our challenges can become even more challenging and complex. The key with stress and anxiety is a combination of seeing a situation for what it truly is, not necessarily just how it feels in the moment, and identifying what you can do to be proactive instead of reactive. Stress and anxiety are the pebble in your shoe that can be removed if you learn how.

NIMH: Stress & Anxiety

Anger is an interesting expression because we never are really angry. What we are is feeling an emotion intensely, and when we do not know how to process or interpret what is transpiring, often it is anger that is what we use to identify our experience. Usually, anger is the result of an expectation not being met and then responding accordingly. Anger is also interesting because it is so visceral and connects with us at our core as emotional animals. What you are feeling, whether anger or something else, is never wrong. The challenge is in how you allow yourself to respond to what you are feeling.

APA: Anger

Tired of your boss? Looking for a new direction? Want to explore something different but not sure where to start? Jesse has a background in working with his clients to help discover what it is they want, identifying the challenges to getting there, and helping them outline a plan that is sensible. Change does not necessarily happen easily or overnight, but consistent steps in the right direction can help to build confidence and the awareness that the dreams and goals you have, can be achieved!

Most challenges come down to simply being aware of the choices you have been making, then figuring out what choices you could make instead, to help you get to where you want to be. For many, this can be a daunting task, but it does not have to be. Simple basic tools can help you to become “the you”, that you desire to be. These are not just words that sound good. Positive life, career, change, and growth are absolutely possible!

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment that has been demonstrated to be effective for a range of problems including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol, drug use problems, and relationship difficulties. Numerous research studies suggest that CBT leads to significant improvement in functioning and quality of life.

CBT is based on several core principles, including:

1. Psychological problems are based, in part, on faulty or unhelpful ways of thinking.

2. Psychological problems are based, in part, on learned patterns of unhelpful behavior.

3. People suffering from psychological problems can learn better ways of coping with them, thereby relieving their symptoms and becoming more effective in their lives.

CBT treatment usually involves efforts to change thinking patterns. These strategies might include:

• Learning to recognize one’s distortions in thinking that are creating problems, and then reevaluate them in light of reality.

• Gaining a better understanding of the behavior and motivation of others.

• Using problem-solving skills to cope with difficult situations.

• Learning to develop a greater sense of confidence in one’s own abilities.

CBT treatment also usually involves efforts to change behavioral patterns. These strategies might include:

• Facing one’s fears instead of avoiding them.

• Using role-playing to prepare for potentially problematic interactions with others.

• Learning to calm one’s mind and relax one’s body.

APA: CBT

Depression is when sadness is more than a passing feeling. It is when you find your daily routine, diet, sleep, and relationships negatively impacted due to your mood and feelings you may not even understand. Fortunately, there is research, awareness, and interventions related to overcoming depressive moods and feelings.

Depression is described as follows:

• Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness, or hopelessness

• Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters

• Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies, or sports

• Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much

• Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort

• Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain

• Anxiety, agitation, or restlessness

• Slowed thinking, speaking, or body movements

• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame

• Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions, and remembering things

• Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, or suicide

• Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches

Mayo Clinic: Depression

If you are a veteran and seeking counseling about your military service, trauma you experienced in the military, or even how to reconcile life in the military and life out of the military, this is the right place. Dr. Wade is a veteran who lived overseas, moved “bullets and beans” on four continents, and spent some time in Iraq. He has “been there”, so he gets it.

Are you the friend, girlfriend, spouse, widow, mother, father, brother, sister of a veteran or just knew someone who served? Jesse also has experience working with friends and family members of veterans.

Grief and loss is a challenging experience because we never want to lose or let go of something that matters on a deep emotional level. However, this is one of the things we can not control and finding the grace to acknowledge that someone or something is gone is key. In grief therapy, the readily accepted model is called “the five stages of grief”, and was created by Dr. Elizabeth Kübler-Ross:

1) denial

2) anger

3) bargaining

4) depression

5) acceptance

The model has been revised over time and can also be expressed as follows:

1) shock and disbelief

2) denial

3) guilt

4) anger and bargaining

5) depression, loneliness, and reflection

6) reconstruction (or ‘working through’)

7) acceptance

The most mind-boggling aspect of grief and these models is that in a short period of time you could go through every single stage and still need further time to process and heal from the loss.

The most important aspect of grief therapy is to know that it will not last forever. Additionally, it is key to realize that just because you loved or were connected to one person or thing, in particular, that does not mean you can not experience something like it again. That is something that is in your control.

Simon & Schuster: "On Death & Dying" by Dr. Elizabeth Kübler-Ross

There is the family you are born with and there is the family you create. Neither comes with a guarantee of ease, perfection, or the absence of difficulty. The biggest challenge in any human dynamics is clear communication and that is something that requires a willingness to listen and a willingness to figure out exactly what it is you are asking to be heard. Whatever your problem or dilemma with family, friends, a partner, or even how you view and understand yourself - there are ways to improve the dynamic so that it is more positive, supportive, kind, and loving. When the parties are willing, truly awesome and positive change is possible.

In traumatic or unusually stressful circumstances, people may perpetuate, fail to prevent, or witness events that contradict deeply held moral beliefs and expectations. When someone does something that goes against their beliefs, this is often referred to as an act of commission. When they fail to do something in line with their beliefs, that is often referred to as an act of omission. Individuals may also experience betrayal from leadership, others in positions of power, or peers which can result in adverse outcomes. Moral injury is the distressing psychological, behavioral, social, and sometimes spiritual aftermath of exposure to such events. A moral injury can occur in response to acting or witnessing behaviors that go against an individual's values and moral beliefs.

Guilt, shame, disgust, and anger are some of the hallmark reactions of moral injury.

• Guilt involves feeling distressed and remorse regarding the morally injurious event (e.g., "I did something bad.").

• Shame is when the belief about the event generalizes to the whole self (e.g., "I am bad because of what I did.").

• Disgust may occur as a response to memories of an act of perpetration.

• Anger may occur in response to a loss or feeling betrayed.

• Another hallmark reaction to moral injury is an inability to self-forgive, and consequently engaging in self-sabotaging behaviors (e.g., feeling link you don't deserve to succeed at work or relationships). “

National Center for PTSD: Moral Injury

Moral Injury can be repaired and moved beyond by processing the trauma in a way that examines the situation objectively, validates the person(s) involved, and identifies that the person now is not the person then.