Veterans at Ease: Training 10 Therapists for Fellow Veterans

A military mental health charity in the North East, Veterans at Ease, has initiated a fundraising campaign named 'The 10.' This initiative aims to train ten regular service users in psychotherapy over a four-year period. The goal is to equip them with the skills to provide vital mental health support to fellow veterans.

The charity was established in September 2010 by Garreth Murrell, who personally experienced 14 years of undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after leaving the armed forces. Murrell's own challenging journey, which included severe mental health struggles, led him to discover neurolinguistic psychotherapy, a therapy he now delivers.

Veterans at Ease offers free, open-ended psychological therapy to veterans, serving military personnel, blue-light service workers, and their families. A key aspect of the charity is its team of therapists, all drawn from the armed forces community, fostering a unique understanding and shared lived experience with those they support.

To date, the organization, which currently has four therapists, has assisted 475 individuals. The 'The 10' campaign requires £200,000 to finance the training of the ten new psychotherapists. This training is also seen as a way to aid veterans in their transition back to civilian life, offering them a stable mindset.

Mark Appleby and Andrew Carr are two veterans who found invaluable support through Veterans at Ease. Both struggled with readjusting to civilian life and faced mental health challenges. They credit the charity, and specifically its veteran-led approach, with helping them gain perspective and improve their well-being. Both have since undertaken qualifications to help others.