LIVE: Veteran Identity and Mental Health: Military Service and Trauma - Part 3

June 4, 2024  |  2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Pacific

Presented By Kristen J. Vescera, PhD, MPH, MA
Kristen J. Vescera, PhD, MPH, MA

June 4, 2024
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Pacific

2 Hours | 2 CEs

$125 Registration | $100 Early Registration (through May 28th) | Live Training via Zoom

Kristen J. Vescera, PhD, MPH presents a live virtual professional training program on Veteran Identity and Mental Health: Military Service and Trauma - Part 3 with special contributions from Dr. David Joseph.

“I didn’t serve. I can’t understand what my Veteran clients went through.” The Veteran Identity and Mental Heath training series follows a Veteran through three transition points.

The first two trainings in this series cover Initiation into the military and Military Service. While it is not a requirement, it is strongly recommended to take theses programs in the series first.

This third session discusses trauma experiences that are common amongst Service Members and may ultimately impact their identity as Veterans after service. Each transition point impacts the Veteran’s identity beyond their service. This includes expectations at each transitional stage of service that, if fulfilled or not, may impact one’s sense of self as a Veteran upon discharge.

Veteran culture will be explored through the lens of the military experience and asks the learner to think about the Service Member through experiential exercises in order to get “comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Military-related trauma will be discussed as we consider how combat and military sexual trauma affect the identities and mental health of service members. Transition challenges during service will be explored through the context of development and identity formation. This unique learning experience offers the opportunity for learners to explore their own attitudes and beliefs about the Veterans they work with.

This training is intended for professionals who work (or live) with Veterans at any stage of their career and can benefit from the unique perspectives available in this learning experience.

Training outline:

  • Introduction
  • Imaginal Exercise- lead the audience through a scenario of what it would be like to serve overseas
  • Discuss transition challenges during service
  • Discuss combat trauma and its implications and complexities (with video support)
  • Discuss the unique nature of military sexual trauma and its complexities


Personal experience, case studies, research, and credible online resources will be shared throughout the discussion

Intended Audience

This live program is intended for mental health and other allied professionals.

Experience Level

This live program is appropriate for beginner, intermediate, and advanced level clinicians.

CE / CPD Credit

APA, ASWB, CPA, NBCC: Click here for state and other regional board approvals.

Presented By

Kristen J. Vescera, PhD, MPH, MA

Dr. Kristen Vescera is a combat Veteran having served overseas in Afghanistan in 2012-2013. She spent ten years enlisted in the United States Army Reserve as a Psychological Operations Staff Sergeant and Instructor. She received her PhD in clinical psychology at Palo Alto University in 2021 where sh...

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this program you will be able to:

Demonstrate an understanding of Veteran identity within the context of military culture

Describe awareness of the kinds of traumatic experiences that are unique to military service. This includes combat-related trauma and military sexual trauma

Describe insight into the unique nature of these traumas and how they uniquely impact and challenge the mental health of service members

Describe the various challenges associated with transitions that a Service Member may encounter throughout their military career

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Live Event Policy

Registration for our live events is covered for one (1) person per purchase. If you would like to purchase for a group, please contact our group training team.

Event Communications

Event Communications

When registering, use an email that is active and that you check regularly. We are not responsible for communications not being received; if you do not add caps@paloaltou.edu to your email safe sender list, our emails are likely to end up in your spam or junk folders.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellation Policy

Have a sudden change of plans and are unable to attend live? No worries; you will be given access to the on-demand version of the program once available. Please note if you attend live, no access to the recording will be given.

Event Conduct

Event Conduct

Professional conduct is expected during our live programs. Our goal is to make our events as interactive as possible for all participants. We reserve the right to remove any participants who are disruptive, act unprofessionally, or who we are unable to verify their purchase.

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