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Video Review: PTSD & Veterans: A Conversation With Dr. Frank Ochberg
The producers of the DVD PTSD & Veterans: A Conversation With Dr. Frank Ochberg state that this video interview answers the question, “How do we help our veterans who are returning from war with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?” They describe its purpose as “provid(ing) an intimate conversation with Dr. Frank Ochberg, as he shares his experiences, seasoned insights, and suggestions.” This DVD was created to assist mental health therapists who have treated a variety of clients. Dr. Ochberg suggests this area of practice (PTSD) is best suited for the mid-career clinician who has treated a range of problems, including depression, intimacy and avoidance issues, trauma such as sexual assault or abusive relationships, disasters such as September 11th, and other violent crimes. Ochberg lists the treatment areas, including returning to civilian life, starting a new career or family, and facing the beginning of adulthood, as important concerns for therapists to address. He feels that seasoned therapists will certainly have the skills and ability to translate their clinical work and experiences toward working with veterans returning from war with PTSD. He views the role of the therapist as one of explaining, interpreting, and instructing veterans. He believes a trauma therapist is already dealing with all these elements, such as work, sense of self, important relationships, faith, and reason for living. However, Dr. Ochberg cautions that this challenging population and difficult diagnosis is not an appropriate area for social work students or brand new therapists. He welcomes seasoned therapists to this burgeoning practice area and believes working with returning men and women veterans as they adapt to civilian life will prove to be an exciting and rewarding treatment specialty for those who choose to pursue it. He notes that counseling veterans is a privilege, and he speaks of his experience working directly with soldiers from the Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq wars. Dr. Ochberg’s interviews on various topics include:
Unique Challenges Tools of the Trade The Loss of Emotional Tone Remittent Depression Family Issues Military Sexual Trauma Patient & Therapist Relationship Counting Method
The DVD provides a lot of interesting and important information. It is clear Dr. Ochberg is an authority on the topic of interest, but the current format is a bit dry and not always accessible or easy to incorporate into practice. It would have been valuable to have an accompanying booklet spelling out some of the interventions discussed here. Given the relevance of this subject, this DVD seems an important resource for those mental health practitioners seeking assistance in serving veterans. It not only provides a background context, but also recommends starting points to consider when working with this population. All in all, this DVD is an interesting reference for clinical social workers or therapists working with veterans, and it should prove valuable for educators and students interested in learning from an expert in this specialty.
Reviewed by Kate Alson, ACSW, MSW, Associate Clinical Social Worker offering therapy to individuals, couples, and families in a private practice in Torrance, CA under supervision while she works toward becoming an LCSW. Kate previously worked at the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration in a dual diagnosis residential treatment program. She can be reached at http://www.katealson.com or
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