Wise Elephant Marriage,Family, and Trauma-Informed Counseling

Wise Elephant Marriage, Family, and Trauma-Informed Counseling, A Professional Corporation

Psychological traumas are often defined as circumstances that overwhelm our coping abilities. Consistent sampling of the population reveals that half the population has had at least one of these circumstances. Of that group, almost two-thirds state the trauma occurred before age twelve.

The use of mental health services increases by about 2% per year, and with the statistics on trauma, most are going to need the services of trauma specialists. Unfortunately, most mental health professionals are inadequately trained or avoid treating trauma. Those that do have training often only know one treatment form.

Hi, I’m David Vest, a licensed marriage family therapist in California and Texas and a doctoral candidate. My doctorate is an educational doctorate in community care and counseling with a specialty in psychological traumas. I have been practicing psychotherapy for thirteen years, focusing on trauma. I have responded to critical incidents and conducted several stress debriefings, I am a survivor of trauma, I am also an eight-year Navy Veteran, a retired homicide, arson, and crimes against persons detective, adjunct professor, and have a small presence on social media.

The mental health industry is growing, and significant understandings have surfaced. We know the impact trauma has on our schools, homelessness, addiction, relationships, and communities. I am seeking funding to build a comprehensive center focusing on treating, educating, and researching the impact trauma has. The start-up costs for this endeavor are $1.5 million to handle talent acquisition, a medical biller, an office manager, a physical location, platforms and delivery of remote systems, recording, and media to create and deliver educational programs, as well as an online store that sells products empirically known to aid in recovery from trauma.

The staggering costs of workmen’s compensation cases from post-traumatic stress disorder alone are estimated at $80 million dollars and rising. Law enforcement and fire services personnel are receiving presumptive injury for medical retirements. Visible increases in homelessness and drug addiction, which are known to be highly correlated with trauma, cause additional draining of community resources. I know we can’t cure all of these social problems, but we can begin to impact how people perceive trauma and teach businesses ways to mitigate and aid trauma survivors. We can assist local agencies in treating trauma but, more importantly, establish prevention programs. Recognize through research better ways of addressing trauma.

I appreciate your consideration and hope for your further inquiry into impacting our communities and businesses through trauma treatment. I hope you will further consider investing in Wise Elephant Marriage, Family, and Trauma-Informed Counseling.