Veterans Who Survive Sexual Assault Heal Through Music

Every year, thousands of women in the military report being sexually assaulted. They face the same difficult roads to recovery that civilians do. And their healing is compounded by additional layers of stigma for whistle-blowing among some of their colleagues.

But there is a silver lining in the military’s response to the trauma endured by these women. The VA in Nashville is now offering supplemental therapy through a partnership with Operation Song, a program founded by Bob Regan.

Regan is a professional songwriter who pairs veterans suffering from PTSD with musicians and writers. The goal is to heal through storytelling—musical storytelling.

Last year, Regan revised the program

to also incorporate veteran survivors of sexual assault. He was inspired to expand the program while he toured military bases and learned about the proliferation of sexual assault in the armed forces. Even the strongest and most honorable among us need help to recover from the emotional scars of trauma. Storytelling is a powerful way to do just that. To hear some of the songs from healing veterans listen to this episode of Here and Now.

Has music or writing helped you heal from sexual assault or another past trauma? We’d love to hear from you.

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