Fighting the War not Seen: Helping Veterans Return Home | with Dr. Tim Overton | #17

In this episode of The Neutral Ground Podcast, I speak with Dr. Tim Overton. We grapple with the reasons why many veterans find it difficult to reach out for help when it comes to mental health; we discuss the various methods of help that are available for veterans; and we even talk about one of my favorite subjects: the important role that narratives play in building resiliency and purpose. Mental health concerns are never the same from person to person; however, I think we do a good job of trying to understand some of the unique barriers that veterans might face from that of civilians. I was pretty shocked by some of the statistics that Dr. Overton provides for us here regarding rates of suicide, ideation, and how much more they can be reduced through therapy. Dr. Overton is an individual and couples therapist for the Cohen Military Family Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his M.A. and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Widener University. He completed his postdoctoral residency at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Affairs Medical Center in New Orleans, where he specialized in the treatment of rural and underserved veteran populations. His clinical expertise includes Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for posttraumatic stress disorder and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for depression and anxiety.

You can find Dr. Overton and the rest of the Cohen Veterans Network through the following links:

https://www.facebook.com/MFCPenn/

https://twitter.com/MFCPenn

https://www.instagram.com/mfcpenn/

www.pennmedicine.org/veterans

If you’re a veteran who is struggling with mental health, or you know someone who is struggling, consider passing on the following information:

University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine links:

• Apps that can help: https://www.med.upenn.edu/mfc/mobile_apps.html
• Relaxation techniques: https://www.med.upenn.edu/mfc/relaxation-techniques.html

Military One Source: https://www.militaryonesource.mil/health-wellness/mental-health/mental-health-resources/

Rand Social and Economic Well Being: https://www.rand.org/well-being/social-and-behavioral-policy/projects/veterans/resources.html

Cohen Veterans Network: https://www.cohenveteransnetwork.org/

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America: https://iava.org/homev3/

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov

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