Using HG therapy to help military veterans, reservists and their families

As a retired Colonel, HG therapist Tony Gauvain had seen first-hand the harrowing effects of post traumatic stress. When Piers Bishop ran a successful pilot with the HGF to detraumatise Falklands War veterans using human givens therapy, the two decided to join forces to help as many veterans struggling with mental health issues as they could.

Using a grant from the Human Givens Foundation, in 2009 they set up PTSD Resolution, a Registered Charity offering free human givens therapy to UK-based military veterans – many of whom have been discharged due to serious mental health problems resulting from military service, such as PTSD, and have developed addictions, depression, anger problems, as they struggle to reintegrate into normal working and family life – reservists and their families.

Having given their all and often been through horrendous experiences, many veterans feel abandoned by the armed services as they attempt to cope and find the help they need.

Using the HGI’s online register of HG therapists, PTSD Resolution is able to quickly and cost-effectively match individuals with their nearest therapist, nationwide.  (If you are a UK Forces’ Veteran, Reservist or family member, you can get free help and support with mental health that is prompt, local and effective by visiting PTSD Resolution or calling 0300 302 0551.)

This speed – and the rapid effectiveness of HG treatment – is seen as a huge benefit by those seeking help, many of whom are literally desperate by the time they find PTSD Resolution, having spent years being passed from pillar to post.

Resolution does not insist on a formal diagnosis of PTSD and measures trauma symptoms via a recognised measure, the Impact of Event Scale (IES). This self-reporting measure allows both the individual and their therapist to gauge their progress through therapy. Veterans in prison also receive help.

…particularly when it is noted that Resolution work with a very distressed client base – most individuals are helped in only 6 sessions.

Resolution insist that all HG therapists who work for them use Pragmatic Tracker to monitor their clients’ progress through therapy. Often working with very complex cases, all cases are included in the data – and drop out is low. This has built up a solid data base of evidence – and research findings have recently been published.

One of the many benefits of HG therapy detraumatisation, is that the individuals don’t have to disclose what they’ve been through with the therapist – something therapists and the veterans themselves can find extremely distressing. Many had received help before and gained some benefit, but were still struggling with multiple issues – the response to the HG therapy they’ve received has been universally positive.

Resolution has come a long way in 10 years – it is now a member of COBSEO (The Confederation of Service Charities), which puts them on a par with Combat Stress and other major service charities – and through the hard work and dedication of fundraisers, HG therapists and volunteers, it has been able to help over 2,300 people to date.  

Top image of Soliders in Afghanistan: Crown Copyright – Open Government Licence v3.0.