On Veterans’ Day, 2007, a small group of Veterans and therapists gathered around a table and committed to establishing an organization devoted to healing PTSD, the invisible wound of war. The vision and mission have stayed steady, but the grassroots organization has now become a Community of citizens, healing professionals, clergy, Veterans and families dedicated to this work. Here are some of the original visionaries.
Robert A. Cagle served, on active duty, in the United States Army from 1964 to 1967. He was with the First Infantry Division in Viet Nam 1965-66. His war experiences brought about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, “PTSD,” which he fought with for 40 years. He is a Registered Respiratory Care Practitioner in metro-Atlanta, husband, father and grandfather.
Robert has worked closely with Dr. Edward Tick for the past seven years, returning twice to Viet Nam and journeying twice to Greece so that he and his family could heal from the wounds of war.
He was encouraged to write poetry about his experiences and found this to be an outlet he never expected. It has allowed him to envision experiences and express them, and has given him an open invitation to tell his story even if no one else saw it.
Kaye Coker, MSW, LCSW, a psychotherapist in private practice, works with individuals and couples experiencing problems with ptsd, anxiety, depression, and sexuality and relationship issues.
Kaye has received intensive training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), which she has been teaching and weaving into her psychotherapy practice for more than a decade. Since 2005 she has been involved in research and teaching MBSR to veterans of OIF and OEF.
A member of the National Association of Social Workers, the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and SISP, she can be reached through www.mountainheartcounseling.com.
Bill Liggin, M.A., L.M.F.T. is the owner of Transpersonal Counseling, a private practice in Atlanta and rural Carroll County Georgia since 1979. Bill is veteran of the Vietnam War and served in Vietnam, Okinawa, The Philippines, and Thailand. He has worked with veterans and the families of veterans with the diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder who served in Korea, Vietnam, World War II, Afghanistan, Iraq, South America, and Africa. He has worked with patients who suffer from natural disasters as well as industrial accidents, plane crashes, rapes, and victims of domestic violence. He has worked with fire departments and police departments in his private practice.
Bill has had to work with his own struggles with PTSD and continues his personal journey towards healing.
Bill Nixon is a Vietnam veteran who served in the United States Marine Corps for six years during the 1960′s. He is the father of five children and has eight grandchildren. Bill has lived with PTSD for forty years. Through mindfulness training and the strong support of his beloved wife, Susan, counselors and friends he has entered the long road of healing. Bill is interested in helping other veterans who may be suffering today and who are seeking a mentor.
Shawn Nelson, a founding member of Veteran’s Heart Georgia, began his military career in 1990. By 1993 he was trained as a Ranger, serving in the 75th Ranger Regiment. He was subsequently deployed for “Operation Gothic Serpent” in Somolia, Africa. This action is best known for the combat assault which became the basis for the book and movie, Blackhawk Down. He departed military service in 2005. His experiences with PTSD led him to the depths of Hell and back out through a personal spiritual journey. This journey includes work with The Heart of the Healer Foundation and with Edward Tick. He currently lives in Arizona, where he is pursuing a degree in Psychology and preparing to lead others on the pathway towards spiritual healing.
Donnie Apted is a multi- service retired veteran. The son of a Viet Nam veteran, Donnie began his military career in the Navy and finished it with the GA Army National Guard. He deployed to Iraq with 878th Engineer Battalion in 2003 – 2004. He struggled with PTSD for several years before taking part in a research study of Mindfulness as a treatment for war-related PTSD. Donnie and wife Kari are the parents of two boys. Kari is a writer whose work is featured in the book, Operation Homecoming, which was made into a documentary film, Muse of Fire. Donnie, an artist, is the Webmaster for VHG.
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