The Soldiers Project
By Debbie Gregory.
Since 2004, The Soldiers Project has been helping Veterans cope with mental wounds. The idea for the organization originated after founder Judith Broder M.D., attended a live theater production about the war in Iraq that was written and performed by Veterans. The performance left Dr. Broder thinking that something must be done to help the thousands of service members, Veterans, and their family members who have mental health concerns due to their participation in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Soldiers Project began when Dr. Broder paid for a telephone line and started a website in order to reach out to mentally wounded Veterans. She also began lobbying her friends and colleagues, also in the mental healthcare profession, to get involved.
The organization’s mental healthcare professionals offer free psychotherapy to any military Veteran or active duty service member who has served in Iraq or Afghanistan. They also provide free therapy to their loved ones, including boyfriends, girlfriends, spouses, children, parents and grandparents of combat Veterans. There is no limit to the number of sessions that the Soldiers Project provides.
What began as a single person volunteering her own time has grown into a national movement. Today, the Soldiers Project has well over 400 volunteer therapists across the country in its network. Since its beginning in Los Angeles, the Soldiers Project has expanded, with affiliated locations in Washington, Sacramento, New York, Chicago, Pennsylvania and Wyoming.
MilitaryConnection.com is a proud supporter of the Soldiers Project. Our leadership has collaborated with the organization to provide Military Connection’s offices to be used by the Soldiers Project, and even facilitated a space for the organization to train new therapists. For more information please call (877) 576-5343 or visit their website www.thesoldiersproject.org
