Military Counseling 2.0: Military Culture, Moral Injury, PTSD, and Suicide

Military Counseling 2.0: Military Culture, Moral Injury, PTSD, and Suicide 

Summary  

Modern warfare has significantly impacted a generation of warriors and their families. Beyond the physical wounds of battle, they often face moral injury, posttraumatic stress, depression, anger, strained relationships, and suicide. In this series, mental health professionals and career military couple instruct on how key elements of military culture powerfully shape the ways that warriors and families face these challenges. Licensed clinicians, pastors, and other helpers will find practical faith-based ideas and strategies for effective ministry to military clients and their families.   

Learning Objectives 

Participants will... 

1. Identify several influential military cultural dynamics and modern warfare stressors that impact warriors and military families
2. Distinguish between moral injury and PTSD and the effective responses that can be offered by both mental health professionals and church-based helpers to address them 
3. Explore practical ways that mental health professionals and pastors, including those with no military background, can improve their effectiveness with the military community and help reduce suicide 

Course Lessons and Descriptions  

MLT 101: Effective Care for Military Clients and Understanding Military Culture 

David P. Mikkelson, Ph.D., M.Div., and Suzanne Mikkelson, Ph.D. 

In this lesson, the presenters will discuss current military cultural dynamics and modern warfare stressors and their impact on the individual and family.  

 Runtime: 1:00:13

MLT 102: Effective Care for Military Clients - PSTD 

David P. Mikkelson, Ph.D., M.Div., and Suzanne Mikkelson, Ph.D. 

In this lesson, the presenters will discuss the current evidence-based and effective mental health treatments for PTSD in the military population.  

 Runtime: 1:00:21

MLT 103: Effective Care for Military Clients - Moral Injury and Suicide  

David P. Mikkelson, Ph.D., M.Div., and Suzanne Mikkelson, Ph.D. 

In this lesson, the presenters will review current assessments and the latest research on moral injury, and discuss common suicide misconceptions, facts, factors and warning signs for the military population and how to help family members after a military suicide.  

 Runtime: 1:00:23

Presenters 

David P. Mikkelson, Ph.D., M.Div., LMFT, grew up in a Marine Corps family and later served as a Marine Corps artillery officer for 10 years and, after completing seminary, as an Army chaplain for 18 years.  David served in armor, communications, infantry, and special forces units as a chaplain, and as a Family Life Chaplain providing pastoral counseling for warriors and their families in Germany.  He deployed to Baghdad, Iraq in 2006-2007 as the Brigade Combat Team chaplain for 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.  Upon his return, David was selected to establish a new pastoral counseling training center at Ft. Bragg, NC in 2008.  As an ordained and experienced minister and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and clinical supervisor, David sees tremendous opportunity for the gospel and church-based care to intersect mental health care that can result in lasting healing.  He and his wife Suzanne own a large private practice in Lynchburg where they continue to reach out to care for military clients.  After graduating from Duke University (1984), he earned a M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary (1995), a M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Tarleton State University (2002), and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University (2015). 

Suzanne Mikkelson, Ph.D., LMFT, grew up in North Carolina and married David upon their graduation from Duke University in 1984.  She is a former military spouse with nearly 30 years of Christian counseling experience with military members and their families.  She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, an American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Approved Supervisor, and an Approved Consultant and Trainer with Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing International Association (EMDRIA).  Suzanne’s clinical specialties include trauma, mood disorders, adultery recovery, marital issues, and parenting.  She has served in many military chapel communities and led women’s ministries on military bases around the world.  As a pastor’s wife, she has also experienced the tremendous potential for healing and gospel impact when mental health care practitioners partner with local churches. While David was deployed to combat in Iraq, Suzanne was instrumental in providing ministry and support to many commander’s wives and the entire military community in Schweinfurt, Germany. Suzanne earned a M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Reformed Theological Seminary (1995) and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University (2015). 

Continuing Education 

3.0 CE Credits available for LPC, LMFT, LSW. 

3.0 CE Credits available for IBCC Credential Holders.  

The American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) offers some psychologists, therapists, counselors, social workers and play therapists Continuing Education (CE) credit due for good standing with certain states and a limited number of professional organizations. It remains the responsibility of each participant to be aware of state licensure and CE requirements. Participants should check their state and/or local regulations regarding required continuing education hours. For more information Light University Continuing Education programs, please visit: https://lightuniversity.com/continuing-education-statements/.