Course Description

In recent years the concept of Moral Injury has morphed from its origins as a descriptor of the damage done to warrior’s psyches after serving in a combat zone during forward operations, to be one embraced by civilians to replace traumatic stress. This presentation will define Moral Injury as a specific war wound and differentiate it from PTSD/Complex PTSD; discuss morality, ethics and right action in the context of Military culture; and demonstrate how to assess for, set up and conduct a Moral Injury repair session with a veteran using EMDR Therapy with specific cognitive interweaves. EMDR therapists must expand their understanding of war trauma to include relevant spiritual and existential questions, so that Moral Injury is seen as evidence of the highest level of moral conscience and not as a disorder, so as to stem the tide of veteran suicide, often a result of unrepaired Moral Injury.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will be able to define Moral Injury and distinguish it from PTSD and Complex PTSD.
2. Participants will be able to describe morality, ethics and right action in the context of Military culture.
3. Participants will be able to assess for, set up and conduct a Moral Injury repair session with a veteran using EMDR Therapy with specific cognitive interweaves.

Presenter(s)

Eva Usadi, MA, BCD, CGP

Eva J. Usadi, MA, BCD, CGP is the Founder/Executive Director of Trauma and Resiliency Resources, and the Clinical Director of TRR’s Warrior Camp® program. She was EMDR trained in 2001, Certified in 2012 and has been an EMDRIA-Approved Consultant since 2019 and the Clinical Consultant to the NYCTRN since 2020. Certified in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Group Psychotherapy, a contract therapist for FDNY, an MFLC for DOD and a preferred provider for Doctors Without Borders, she has given over 40 presentations in the US, the UK and Europe. She is the daughter of a WWII Veteran.