The "Forgiveness" Factor
In the Treatment of Vietnam Veterans
by
Thomas Brinson*

Abstract

Many Vietnam veterans suffer from clinical and sub-clinical post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), despite increasingly focused treatment during the past couple of decades. New models of therapeutic intervention are needed. The author reviews relevant literature concerning forgiveness and the incorporation of ritual and ceremony. He portrays a novel, theoretically consistent intervention, consisting of a comprehensive psychotherapeutic peer group program. Veterans are offered opportunities to practice forgiveness, to participate in reconciliation through volunteer human service activities, and to experience compassion for self and "enemy" through participation in healing rituals and ceremonies. He proposes that PTSD programs could perhaps adopt similar strategies to foster forgiveness and reconciliation among veterans suffering from PTSD.

Thomas is currently doing humanitarian work in Sri Lanka and can be e-mailed at ltbrin@earthlink.net.

Continue with full article (Adobe PDF, 97K).

*Clinical Supervisor
Southwest Case Management
La Frontera Center, Inc.
Tucson, AZ 85714

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