Group Therapy for Veterans

Camaraderie and teamwork are hallmarks of military culture. However, the experiences veterans face can feel wholly isolating, with pervasive military cultures making it difficult for many to reach out for help to overcome the challenges veterans commonly face after being discharged from service. Substance use, trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are all incredibly complex situations requiring professional treatment. Coupled with the prevalence of survivor’s guilt, moral injury, transition stress, and more, each veteran will face personal hurdles while creating a healthy civilian life.

Group therapy at Hawaii Island Recovery can be instrumental in navigating these stresses and challenges. The veteran-specific community and care we offer can help you engage in the most effective and holistic healing as a veteran. 

Feelings of isolation can be extraordinarily common and debilitating for veterans from any branch of the armed forces. Substance use disorder (SUD), trauma, and more can all be isolating experiences. Veterans have lived a unique life, with the military bringing its own cultures and experiences that are not readily comparable to civilian life, leaving veterans feeling either misunderstood or alone in overcoming their challenges. 

Likewise, military culture also dictates that showing emotional vulnerability is something to be avoided or is somehow “wrong.” It can be tough for many veterans to unlearn these ideas and overcome these stigmas to pursue the treatment needed to overcome any personal challenges. This can facilitate further feelings of isolation that can compound the already difficult obstacles prevalent across veteran life, including: 

Overcoming feelings of isolation and unhealthy stigma-informed barriers is necessary for effective treatment. Hawaii Island Recovery embraces the healing potential of veteran group therapy by curating a safe and accepting space to deconstruct these barriers in the pursuit of a personalized recovery and healthier life. 

Isolation can compromise all other recovery efforts, and group therapy is necessary for helping veterans feel accepted, understood, and connected to others while overcoming trauma or substance use. Being able to break down physical and emotional walls is the first step in taking action throughout treatment. 

Group therapy is instrumental in introducing veterans to peers and professionals alike to create the most effective treatment plan. Deconstructing barriers and introducing veterans to peers in similar situations is just the first step in the comprehensive treatment available at Hawaii Island. 

There are many advantages for veterans actively engaging in group therapy and treatment, and understanding its benefits can ensure that each veteran is making the most of our transformative programs. Each treatment plan will still be able to be personalized to each individual, but being able to navigate challenges with others and work together in solidarity for a common goal can be a profound experience in overcoming feelings of isolation or stagnation throughout the recovery process.

Veterans can often feel ostracized in their transition to civilian life, having lived a different lifestyle throughout their time in service compared to their civilian counterparts. Access to a community of peers that understand and can validate the experiences that veterans face is paramount. Group therapy empowers veterans to connect to each other for a familiar and supportive community, developing relationships that can be instrumental in developing a healthy civilian life and culture. 

Group therapy can also directly challenge the idea that veterans of the armed forces have to always maintain a face of stoic heroism, especially as such notions can compromise the mental health and well-being of those still adjusting to civilian life. 

By meeting peers willing to discuss their recovery journey, it is possible to better create the culture needed to address addiction, trauma, and any prevalent mental health disorders that may continue to inform civilian life. This can further empower veterans to take action and reach out for the most effective healing possible while deconstructing otherwise harmful stigmas and barriers. 

Each veteran will have their own challenges to overcome. Being able to work with peers to develop strategies for navigating substance use disorder, trauma, mental health disorders, and more can provide a constant influx of proven, practical strategies already employed by fellow veterans. Hawaii Island Recovery’s culture of acceptance and camaraderie can birth new ideas, suggest adjustments, and create a sense of community to continually develop new recovery plans and practices pertinent to each individual. 

Our community of veterans creates an effective atmosphere to address the needs and challenges of veterans of the armed forces. At Hawaii Island Recovery, we offer an array of personalized programs, all backed by a sense of community among veterans necessary for a healthy civilian life. We combine proven, personalized practices with a curated group therapy culture to create a comprehensive approach to recovery, addressing your needs in overcoming trauma and substance use while also tending to social needs, personal needs, and spiritual healing in recovery. 

Hawaii Island Recovery is committed to creating a community and culture of healing. By creating an effective support network inside and beyond our walls, our dedicated, veteran-specific care can help you address your needs in recovery while connecting you with those who can best understand and support the best positive change in civilian life.