Counseling Military Families: What Mental Health Professionals Need to Know
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According to the United States Department of Defense, by the end of 1993 there were 2,036,646 reservists and family members and 3,343,235 active duty and family members for a total of 5,379,781 people affected by the military. Since then, because of the conflict in Iraq, the numbers have dramatically increased. While we have always had military families in our midst, not since the Vietnam War have their struggles been so vivid, particularly with alarming rates of increase of both suicide and divorce among military personnel. The face of the military has changed; for the first time a volunteer army is serving in a major combat zone, the level of reservists serving is unprecedented, the percentage of women soldiers in virtually all positions is unprecedented and most of the soldiers have left spouses and/or families behind.The objectives of Counseling Military Families are to help the practicing counselor understand how the military works, what issues are constants for the military family, and what stressors are faced by the military member and the family. The book will begin with an overview of military life, including demographic information and examples of military family issues, before delving into specific chapters focused on the unique circumstances of reservists, career service personnel, spouses, and children. The final section of the book will present treatment models and targeted interventions tailored for use with military families. This book will help counselors tailor their interventions to work well with families who are in transition, who may have an ingrained resistance to asking for help and who will, more than likely, be available for counseling for a relatively short period of time.
Foreword Mary Edwards Wertsch ixPreface xvAcknowledgments xixSetting the Stage 1Introduction: Rationale and Purpose 3The Need for Services 4Why Civilian Counselors 5The Increasing Need 6Family Preparedness 7Continuum of Care 8Taking Its Toll 10The Need for Culturally Competent Counselors 16Military Service Members 25Active Duty 25Citizen Soldiers 26Representativeness of the Military 27The All-Volunteer Service 29Titles, Rank, and Hierarchy 31Why They Join and the Reasons They Stay 35The Military Family 43The Unique Culture of the Military 45The Warrior Society 45The Fortress 55Parent-Focused Families 58The Military and the Male Psyche 61Women in the Military 66The Military Family 71Living in the Fortress 71The Warrior Clan 72FamilyReadiness 73Family Strengths 74The Military Spouse 75Yesterday and Today 77Concerns of the Military Spouse 80Male Spouses 89Dual Military Couples 90Divorce and Remarriage in the Military 92The Children 101Unique Challenges 101Military Brats as Adults 106Strengths and Their Possible Consequences 109Major Challenges 113Living in a Democratic Society 118Parenting Styles 120Development of Problems 121Military Youth Satisfaction 123Tips for the Schools 123Department of Defense Schools 126Other Military Families to Consider 129Reserves and Guard Members and Their Families 129Stepfamilies and Remarried Couples 136Single Service Members and Their Families 146Retired Veterans 148Working with Military Families 151Major Challenges of Military Families 153Mental Health Status of the Military 153Deployment 158PTSD 171Family Violence 177Alcohol in the Military 184Finances 187The Transition Journey 191Change, Grief, and Loss 191A Framework for Healing: The Transition Journey 192New Understandings of Grief and Loss 193The Constants of Loss and Change 194Children and Grief 212Effective Interventions 215Cognitive-Behavior Therapy 217Solution-Focused Brief Therapy 218Family Systems Therapy 221Addressing PTSD in Family Therapy 226Addressing Deployment in Family Therapy 234Working with Military Stepfamilies 236Working with Military Men 245Military Family Case Studies 251The Rest of the Story 251Not Quite the Brady Bunch 255Questions for Discussion 260References 263Organizations and Programs 275Resources for Kids and Families 279Resources for Mental Health Providers 281Military Service Web Sites 283Glossary of Military Acronyms 285Military Glossary of Terms 289Rank and Pay Grade Charts 291Index 295
