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Warrior Canine Connection enlists recovering Warriors in a therapeutic mission of learning to train service dogs for their fellow Veterans.
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Tag Archive for: PTSD Awareness Month

PTSD Awareness Month: Honoring Veterans and advancing healing

May 27, 2025

June marks Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month, a time to recognize the invisible wounds many Veterans carry—and to reaffirm our commitment to supporting them in their healing journeys.

At WCC, we know that healing doesn’t always happen in a hospital room or through words alone. Sometimes, it happens through a quiet moment shared with a service dog in training. Through our Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) program, Veterans engage in a unique form of therapy—one that involves training future service dogs for fellow Warriors.

The efficacy of MBTR training is becoming increasingly recognized as a powerful tool for those managing PTSD. The benefits are well-documented: reduced anxiety, improved social engagement, strengthened sense of purpose and the development of meaningful, trust-based connections.

One Veteran who recently completed WCC’s 8-week MBTR program reflected on the impact it had on him.

“It was an awesome experience with WCC. The ladies are awesome, the dogs are awesome. What else can you say about my amazing experience. Training the dogs and learning how to train them in some of their tasks really helped me with concentration and slowing my mind down. I suffer from PSTD, TBI and anxiety amongst other things. My wife literally said the one day I was always in a good mood was the day I had an hour with the dogs. Before or after going.”

WCC’s MBTR program is grounded in science, empathy and connection (and adorable dogs). Veterans participating in the program often report improvements in mood, social functioning and overall well-being. While a service dog is not a quick fix for PTSD, the structured interaction, responsibility and emotional bond created during training can make a lasting difference.

“It can be extremely challenging for many who have served to ask for, or even accept, assistance for themselves,” said Mar Leifeld, assistant director of MBTR programs, WCC. “I think the power of WCC’s MBTR program is in the fact that we are not saying ‘you need this to improve your PTSD symptoms,’ but rather, ‘we need YOU to help us prepare these dogs for a fellow Vet.’ We want our Veterans to know that they are valued, and their service is still needed in this country—even if what that service looks like may change as they progress through life.”

This month serves as a reminder: PTSD is real, and help is available. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing, but for many, programs like MBTR are a critical step forward.

If you or someone you know could benefit from WCC’s MBTR training, please reach out to Mar Leifeld at mbtr@warriorcanineconnection.org. And if you or a loved one needs immediate support, the Veterans Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255) is available 24/7.

Let’s use PTSD Awareness Month not only to recognize the challenges Veterans face but also to advocate for compassionate, evidence-based solutions that support their recovery—one paw at a time.
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https://warriorcanineconnection.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_sm.svg 0 0 WCC Comms https://warriorcanineconnection.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_sm.svg WCC Comms2025-05-27 13:02:592025-05-27 13:02:59PTSD Awareness Month: Honoring Veterans and advancing healing

PTSD Awareness Month: Recognizing and Supporting Our Veterans

May 29, 2024

June is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month. Here at Warrior Canine Connection, we’ve witnessed firsthand how the best therapy sometimes comes with four legs and a wet nose. For Veterans grappling with PTSD, canine-assisted therapy can be incredibly effective in recognizing triggers, reducing anxiety and enhancing social integration, among many other benefits.

This month and every month, we at WCC are committed to fighting the stigma around PTSD and providing unwavering support to Service Members and Veterans who are battling this condition.

As one Veteran who participated in our Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) program shared, “Training the dogs gave me time away from my PTSD symptoms. I was more focused on connecting with the dogs than my own symptoms.”

Other MBTR participants also shared their experiences with the program.

“Before I began the 8-week program, I was suffering from major depression,” shared a Veteran participant.” After numerous treatments, including a variety of medications and ten sessions of ECT, I was only minimally better. I was feeling numb for years and was unable to feel any joy.  I never left my home and did not want to do anything, even bathing was difficult.  My occupational therapist recommended WCC.  I honestly did not want to go, but I forced myself. After the first two sessions, I finally began to have some sort of feeling for the first time in years. I now leave my home several times a week and I want to do some things.  It is a work in progress, and I have plenty of bad days, but this is a breakthrough.”

“Training the service dogs gave me a sense of purpose; connectedness with fellow veterans, instructors, and dogs; increased my mood; helped me be patient with my own dogs; and gave me a sense of pride that I could contribute to society,” shared an MBTR participant. “It made me feel like the VA cares about veterans with PTSD; I felt loved by the animals and instructors. Overall, this program made helped me feel good about myself again, purposeful and confident in myself.”

It’s important to recognize that training or having a service dog isn’t a quick solution for PTSD—it requires dedication, time and hard work. It’s just one of many effective treatments supported by the medical community to support Veterans battling PTSD.

The key is to know that help is available, find the options that works best for you, and to know that you are not alone. If you or someone you know are interested in WCC’s MBTR training, email Mar Leifeld at mbtr@warriorcanineconnection.org for more information. And if you’re unsure where to turn first, please know the Veterans Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255) is available 24/7.

 

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https://warriorcanineconnection.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_sm.svg 0 0 WCC Comms https://warriorcanineconnection.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_sm.svg WCC Comms2024-05-29 17:16:532024-06-03 14:02:13PTSD Awareness Month: Recognizing and Supporting Our Veterans

June Marks Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month

June 3, 2022

June is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month. As a service dog organization that supports Service Members and Veterans with both visible and invisible wounds, we’ve seen some of the best therapy come with four legs and a wet nose. For those who suffer from PTSD, canine-assisted therapy can be a huge help with recognizing triggers, reducing anxiety, and increasing social integration, among many other benefits.

This month and every month, WCC is committing to help fight the stigma around PTSD, providing support to and advocating for Service Members and Veterans who are battling PTSD. In fact, WCC is proud to have been chosen to staff two of the five sites for the Puppies Assisting Wounded Service Members and Veterans Therapy Act (PAWS Act) pilot program being provided under the auspices of the Department of Veterans Affairs. This program will provide canine training to eligible Veterans who have been diagnosed with PTSD as a complementary and integrative health program.

One Veteran who participated in WCC’s Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) program anonymously shared, “My mindset was pretty combative, and I brought the war home with me when I returned from my first and second deployment in 2010 and 2012. When I tried to get a job, go to college, I struggled. When I started with Warrior Canine Connection, I didn’t know how to pretend to be happy. No amount of social discomfort was going to stop me from learning how to up my pitch a little bit to help these dogs out because these really are amazing animals and anything I give in to helping them, I feel I get back tenfold. I like to say I’m volunteering but what I don’t tell people is that the dogs are really helping me. The benefits of working with the dogs have helped me feel that I’m becoming a functional member of our society and the satisfaction that I get from that is hard to quantify.”

It’s important to note that training service dogs or having one isn’t a magic pill to combat PTSD—it takes a lot of hard work, time, and commitment. And it’s one of many effective, integrative treatments endorsed by the medical community to support Veterans battling PTSD. The key is to know that help is available, find the options that work best for you, and know that you are not alone.

If you or someone you know need is interested in WCC’s MBTR training, you can learn more here. And if you’re unsure where to turn first, please know the Veterans Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255) is available 24/7.

https://warriorcanineconnection.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_sm.svg 0 0 WCC Comms https://warriorcanineconnection.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_sm.svg WCC Comms2022-06-03 16:18:152022-06-06 20:45:25June Marks Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month

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14934 Schaeffer Road
Boyds, MD 20841

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info@warriorcanineconnection.org

Warrior Canine Connection
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