They arrive in Temple wounded and broken.

Seven weeks later, they’re prepared to leave strong and confident and with the necessary tools to continue the healing process. All are female veterans who experienced sexual trauma while serving in the military.

The four women who had spent the last few weeks as participants in the VA’s Women’s Trauma Recovery Center Residential Treatment Program were ready to move on with their lives Thursday following the group’s “mission accomplished” ceremony.

One of the women, speaking for the group, said she was scared and angry when she started the program, and that anger increased during the early days when the staff, namely Karen Duerr, VA social science specialist, pushed the women to face their fears.

“She said a lot of things I didn’t want to hear, but needed to hear. Today, I wish I could put her in my pocket and take her with me,” she said.

One aspect of the treatment program requires the women to confront the details of the actual trauma.

“I thank them for forcing me to do that, even when I didn’t want to,” she said. “I finally was able to let go of all of the blame and the guilt.”

The women, she said, now look forward to the future, instead of back on their past.

“You never gave up on us and, though this program has come to an end, this is just the beginning of our recovery,” she said.

Participants’ histories varied

Temple’s trauma recovery program, one of four in the country, began in July and so far three groups of women have completed the treatment.

The dynamics of each group have been quite different, said Debra Guenzel, program support assistant.

The women’s ages are varied, as are the spans of time since the individual’s sexual assaults, she said.

All have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of the trauma.

The program participants live in the domicilary, sharing bedrooms and meals, and spending significant time together during group therapy.

Many have relationship problems, even with other women, and sharing a bedroom can be an effort.

The selection of roommates is random and the pairs have to learn how to get along … that’s part of the process, Ms. Guenzel said.

Ms. Duerr had a 24-year career in the Army, before returning to school to get her master’s degree. She became a family counselor with Families in Crisis on Fort Hood before joining the Women’s Trauma Recovery Center program at the VA.

“I feel this is what I’m suppose to be doing,” she said. “I consider it a privilege for these ladies to trust me and trust the other therapists with the details of these very traumatic events, because trust is a huge issue that most sexual trauma victims experience.”

Confrontation difficult part of therapy

The majority of the women who have been in the residential treatment program had either sexual or physical trauma during their childhood, said Dr. Delicia McLean, VA psychologist and program coordinator.

At the beginning of the treatment there is often an increase in PTSD symptoms - vigilance, irritability, avoidance and difficulty sleeping, she said.

Early on, the women are led through the exposure component of treatment, which consists of addressing the specific trauma through writing and talking, Dr. McLean said.

During this period, symptoms continue to escalate, she said.

This is followed by a dramatic decrease in symptoms and an improvement in quality-of-life as relationships improve and communication increases, she said.

“They will feel less fearful and will be less likely to avoid certain circumstances,” Dr. McLean said.

Most of the women have coped with their trauma by avoiding the issue through distractions and activities, she said.

“They may be working 80 hours at work and multi-tasking in order to keep their brain focused on other thoughts,” Dr. McLean said. “When they come here we ask them to stop the avoidance and actually approach those thoughts and feelings that are trauma related.”

The women are being asked to do something that is completely foreign to the way they have been coping, she said.

“It’s very difficult, but in the end it can be very beneficial,” Dr. McLean said.

Group begins to bond

The women’s progress is measured and the goal is to get the women to a point where they feel they can move on with their lives, she said.

The groups develop bonds and in a period of seven weeks become quite close, Dr. McLean said.

“What they learn from each other and how they motivate each other is pretty amazing,” she said.

The group therapy process is quite powerful, especially when the women realize other people have had similar experiences and have a clear understanding of the events, Dr. McLean said.

The aftercare portion of the program lasts about six months and starts with once-a-week sessions that are tapered down to every two weeks, then once a month.

“We don’t want to push people out of treatment if they need us, but we also don’t want someone to feel they’re dependent on us,” Dr. McLean said.

Eventually, it is believed the program will expand to include more women as the needs for such treatment grows. There is also a possibility that by next year active duty service women will be able to participate in the Temple program.

For information, visit the VA Web site at www.central-texas.med.va.gov/womenstraumarecoverycenter/.

jgibbs@temple-telegram.com