WOUNDED WARRIORS CANADA ANNOUNCES NEW TRAUMA RESILIENCY PROGRAM
VICTORIA, BC – Wounded Warriors Canada is proud to announce the launch of the Wounded Warriors Canada Trauma Resiliency Program (TRP): a group-based training program combining the power of a team approach with effective, trauma-resilient skills development. The TRP is an innovative Operational Stress Injury program that is aimed at helping serving members of the Canadian Forces, Veterans and First Responders who have been exposed to traumatic events.
The Trauma Resiliency Program is a professionally facilitated program that helps participants acquire the necessary tools for overcoming the natural and understandable effects of traumatic exposure based on a clear understanding of the physical and social effects of traumatic injury.
The program focuses on the value of hard work and the importance of peer recognition in transforming wounds into scars, and scars into roadmaps for resiliency. The first program will be delivered this weekend in Victoria and is fully funded by Wounded Warriors Canada.
The program was clinically developed by Dr. Tim Black and Alex Sterling, MA, RCC. Dr. Black is an Associate Professor of Counselling Psychology at the University of Victoria and he is the Wounded Warriors Canada National Clinical Advisor. Alex Sterling is a clinical counsellor specializing in group and individual approaches to treating trauma and she has worked extensively with veterans and their families coping with the effects PTSD in their relationships.
“This is a proud day for our organization. Thanks to the compassion and generosity of Canadians, Wounded Warriors Canada has grown to a position where we are able to develop and deliver innovative, life-changing programs like the Trauma Resiliency Program. We know our Veterans and First Responders are trained to be resilient. The TRP will provide them with the necessary tools to help them cope with their injury and bounce back better prepared to face challenges ahead,” – Scott Maxwell, Wounded Warriors Canada Executive Director.
“We know now more than ever how exposure to traumatic events leads to traumatization. Through a comprehensive and systematic group-based approach, the TRP is the first step in directly addressing the individual and social aspects of trauma as the keys to becoming more resilient in dealing with posttraumatic stress symptoms,” – Dr. Tim Black, Associate Professor of Counselling Psychology, UVic.
ABOUT TIM BLACK:
Dr. Tim Black, R. Psych., Associate Professor of Counselling Psychology, University of Victoria, specializes in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Military to Civilian Transition and group counselling approaches. He has been working with the Canadian military and Veteran community as a clinician and researcher for 20 years, has co-developed national programs for Veterans in transition, and is the co-founder and lead researcher of the Wounded Warriors Canada COPE (Couples Overcoming PTSD Every Day) Program. Tim has trained psychologists and counselling clinicians across Canada to work with Veterans and is training the next generation of counsellors at the University of Victoria to understand issues related to Veterans and their families in transition from military to civilian life.
ABOUT ALEX STERLING
Alex Sterling MA, RCC holds a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology from the University of Victoria and she recognizes that people are highly interconnected, both internally (body, mind, emotions and spirit) and externally (to our families, history, culture, and systems). Alex has worked extensively in promoting trauma informed work environments and is a senior facilitator for the Wounded Warriors Canada COPE Program.
