A Voice for Veteran-Civilian Dialogue
NEW YORK CITY – Scott Thompson had never thought of himself as a veteran, even though he served as a Protestant chaplain in the Army for four years, traveling to bases like Fort Knox in Kentucky and Fort Lewis near Seattle. He felt disconnected from battle because he hadn’t shared that experience. It wasn’t until more than 20 years after his service that he finally understood the burden of combat.
Four years ago, Thompson, now 50, was working at Intersections International, a non-profit affiliated with the Collegiate Church of New York. On Veterans Day that year, the group brought in a guest speaker, a Vietnam combat veteran named Larry Winters, as part of an effort to build relationships with the local community. As Winters spoke, the sound of the band from the parade on the street outside provided background music echoed by the sound of marching soldiers. Winters read his poems and talked about his book, “The Making and Un-making of a Marine.”
Then he made a plea that struck Thompson’s core.
“You have something that is valuable to the healing process for me, and I have something for you,” he told the crowd, most of whom had never served in the armed forces.
Thompson was taken aback. “What is it that I have that he needs?” he thought. “And what is unhealed in me that only a veteran of war can give me?”
Thompson soon realized that what Winters wanted was to give civilians was the truth of war, and he needed civilians to support him. That inspired Thompson to start a foundation to support a special community. It was the birth the Veteran-Civilian Dialogue project, which has allowed more than 2,500 veterans and non-veterans to hear each other’s stories since 2009.
Winters and Thompson created the dialogue project together. Thompson said they see it as a new kind of social healing process rather than a medical one, especially for veterans suffering from Post-traumatic Stress (PTS), which develops after an ordeal during which people feel that their life or others’ lives are in danger. People with PTS may continue to feel threatened for months or even years afterwards.
The problem is particularly acute for veterans. According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, more than 50 percent of Vietnam veterans experience PTS. Thousands of veterans of more recent wars are also suffering. They are at risk because of longer deployment times and more severe physical injury, particularly traumatic brain injury.
Thompson comes from a military family. His father was a career Army veteran of the Vietnam War, and his uncle and brother also served in the Army. Growing up, Thompson and his family moved from base to base all over the world, spending only about two years in each location. It was challenging for Thompson to grow roots in a home and establish stability, and it led him to seek the deeper expressions of himself when his changing environment often truncated them.
Through his own therapy, Thompson found he wanted to help people who were in pain and suffering. And as a chaplain in the Army, that’s what he was doing: helping active soldiers in need of reflection.
Thompson earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University before his service, then pursued multiple degree upon leaving, including a master of divinity from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a master of science in counseling psychology from Villanova University. He participated in multiple post-graduate training programs, including a certification in psychodrama, which is a form of psychotherapy where clients use dramatization techniques to gain insight into parts of their life. From all this education came a number of jobs as a therapist and social worker, though none addressed the needs of veterans.
But the success he found in the Veteran-Civilian Dialogue project was impossible to ignore. The chemistry between Thompson and Winters gave the project its character.
“We developed our relationship in front of crowds of people,” Winters said. “We talked about issues that we were both unfamiliar with and set a tone for the group.”
It was this kind of intimacy that allowed the group to operate without the need of mental health clinicians and to foster healing. Everett Cox, a retired house painter and Vietnam Army veteran, said participating in the project helped him talk about his experiences after decades of silence.
“There are a lot of veterans who don’t identify [as a veteran] for any number of reasons,” said Cox. “For me, it was shame.”
Things changed when a friend invited Cox to participate in the Veteran-Civilian Dialogue. As someone who had spent most of his life shy, introverted, and alone, Cox said he never imagined himself being a part of a public discussion. Eventually, he became so involved that he started to volunteer for Intersections International, and lead dialogues himself.
Cox said that Thompson and Winters created a valuable resource for veterans and civilians alike. The bonds Cox has formed are as close as family.
“To me, [Thompson]’s a brother,” said Cox. “A wonderfully understanding and patient brother.”
Although Thompson is no longer a facilitator of these dialogues, he is an advocate for veterans’ mental health at the Mental Health Association of New York City. He has worked in the Manhattan office for a little over a year, and currently lives there with his wife.
His focus is getting the New York City Council to fund new outreach efforts to educate mental health clinicians, since the average clinician doesn’t know much about the combat experience. He encourages clinicians to take part in an educational series in order to further train them on the unique dynamics of PTS and substance abuse. Substance abuse becomes a problem when clinicians misdiagnose veterans and over-medicate them.
Thompson sees his biggest obstacle as getting rid of the stigma that comes with the topic of mental health. He explained that some veterans aren’t seeking out mental health treatment because they don’t believe it can help them.
Winters still keeps in touch with Thompson, and noted that Thompson has been a very effective spokesman and has brought a lot of attention and funds to these issues. Winters knows that it’s in Thompson’s nature to stand for what he believes in, which was also displayed by his dedication as a chaplain years ago.
“[Thompson]’s going to stand up for his ideals and principles,” said Winters. “I wasn’t able to do that in my own life.”
Thompson said that his work in veteran advocacy has left him sleeping well at night. For the first time in his life, he said he is of deep service to veterans.
“I feel like I’m a responsible citizen,” said Thompson. “And perhaps the highest form of freedom is the responsibility that we have to each other.”
-December 16, 2013
