National Veterans Legal Services (NVISP)
The National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping veterans secure the disability benefits they’ve earned. They provide free legal help for VA claims and appeals, including support for military sexual trauma (MST) and PTSD cases.
For more than four decades, NVLSP has been a strong advocate for veterans’ rights, ensuring no one is left to navigate the VA system alone.
Service Women's Action Network (SWAN)
The Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN) is a national nonprofit that advocates for the needs of service women and women veterans, especially those impacted by military sexual trauma, discrimination, or barriers to care. SWAN provides policy advocacy, survivor support, and resources to ensure every woman who served receives fairness, respect, and the benefits she has earned.
Protect Our Defenders
Protect Our Defenders (POD) is a national nonprofit dedicated to supporting survivors of military sexual trauma (MST) and fighting for a safer, more accountable military justice system. They offer advocacy, policy reform, survivor support, and legal assistance, working to ensure every survivor is heard, believed, and protected.
Legal & Advocacy Resources
Books
The Body Keeps Score by
Dr Bessel van der Kolk
Written by trauma expert Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score explores how traumatic experiences—especially PTSD, abuse, and chronic stress—become stored in the body and mind. The book explains why survivors may feel “stuck,” disconnected, or overwhelmed, and offers science-backed paths to healing through body-based therapies like mindfulness, movement, EMDR, and safe connection. It’s a powerful, hopeful guide for anyone recovering from trauma and reclaiming their life.
Healing Sex
by Staci Haines
Staci Haines’ Healing Sex is a trauma-informed guide that helps survivors reconnect with their bodies, boundaries, desire, and safety after sexual assault. Blending somatic healing, mindfulness, and compassionate education, Haines offers practical exercises and gentle guidance for rebuilding trust, intimacy, and pleasure on your own terms. This book is an empowering resource for anyone healing from sexual trauma and learning to reclaim their body with respect and care.
Walking the Tiger: Healing Trauma
by Peter Levine
In Peter Levine’s groundbreaking book Waking the Tiger, trauma is explored as a natural bodily response—not a life sentence. Levine introduces Somatic Experiencing®, a gentle healing approach that helps survivors release stored trauma, calm their nervous system, and restore a sense of safety. Through simple explanations and hopeful guidance, the book shows how the body can heal itself and how survivors can reclaim peace, strength, and resilience.
Healing After Military Sexual Trauma
A Woman Veteran's Guide to Becoming Happier, Healthier, and Whole Again
by Abigail Thorne
Written by veteran advocate Abigail Thorne, Healing After Military Sexual Trauma offers a compassionate, practical guide for survivors navigating the emotional and physical effects of MST. Through personal insight, grounded research, and trauma-informed tools, Thorne helps women veterans understand their experiences, rebuild their sense of safety, and reclaim their identity and strength. This book serves as a gentle companion on the journey toward healing, empowerment, and hope.
Invisible Storm
by Jason Kander
In Jason Kander’s memoir Invisible Storm, the former Army intelligence officer shares his deeply personal journey with PTSD after serving in Afghanistan. With honesty, vulnerability, and courage, Kander reveals what it’s like to look “fine” on the outside while battling invisible wounds on the inside. His story highlights the importance of mental health support, treatment, and breaking the stigma around trauma—offering hope, validation, and understanding to anyone living with service-related PTSD.
What My Bones Know
by Stephanie Foo
In Stephanie Foo’s memoir What My Bones Know, she shares her powerful journey of living with and healing from complex PTSD. With honesty, vulnerability, and deep insight, Foo explores how trauma shapes the body and mind—and how compassion, therapy, and self-discovery can lead to profound healing. Her story offers validation, understanding, and hope for anyone navigating the long road of trauma recovery.
Podcasts
Therapy Chat
with Laura Reagan
Therapy Chat, hosted by trauma therapist Laura Reagan, LCSW-C, is a compassionate podcast focused on healing from trauma, emotional wounds, attachment injuries, and the impact of childhood and adult adversity. Through interviews with leading experts and heartfelt solo episodes, Laura offers gentle guidance, practical insights, and body-based healing approaches that help listeners understand their trauma and move toward real, lasting recovery. It’s a supportive resource for anyone seeking hope, clarity, and trauma-informed care on their healing journey.
On Being
with Krista Tippett
On Being, hosted by Krista Tippett, is a soulful, thought-provoking podcast that explores the deeper questions of being human—healing, purpose, faith, resilience, and what it means to live with an open heart. Through conversations with spiritual teachers, poets, scientists, and wisdom-keepers, Krista offers a calm, reflective space for emotional and spiritual healing. It’s a grounding resource for anyone seeking peace, meaning, and gentle guidance on their inner healing journey.
The Trauma Therapist Podcast
The Trauma Therapist Podcast, hosted by Guy Macpherson, PhD, features conversations with therapists, healers, and experts who specialize in trauma recovery. Each episode offers insight, hope, and practical tools for understanding trauma and supporting the healing process. With its compassionate tone and focus on resilience, this podcast is a valuable resource for anyone seeking knowledge, encouragement, and connection on their journey toward emotional healing.
Apps for Grounding & Mindfulness
Healing Practices & Resources
Tools, Support, and Guidance for Your Healing Journey
Sister, healing after military sexual trauma (MST) and service-related PTSD takes strength, courage, and community — and you don’t have to do it alone. 💜
This Resources Page was created especially for women veterans seeking real, trustworthy help on the path to recovery, empowerment, and peace. Whether you’re looking for MST support programs, mental health resources, or trauma recovery tools, this is your one-stop guide to begin rebuilding your life — with compassion and hope.
Insight Timer
Insight Timer is a free meditation and mindfulness app offering thousands of guided meditations, calming music tracks, breathing practices, and grounding exercises from teachers around the world. With tools for anxiety, sleep, trauma healing, and emotional regulation, it creates a gentle space to reconnect with your body, calm your nervous system, and build daily moments of peace. It’s an accessible resource for healing, mindfulness, and inner resilience.
PTSD Coach
The PTSD Coach app, developed by the VA and the Department of Defense, is a free, confidential tool that helps users manage symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and stress. It offers grounding exercises, mood tracking, coping skills, relaxation tools, and crisis resources you can use anytime. With practical guidance and supportive education, the app empowers survivors to understand their symptoms and find relief in moments of overwhelm.
Beyond MST
The Beyond MST app, created by the VA, is a free, confidential tool designed to support survivors of military sexual trauma. It offers guided exercises, grounding techniques, coping skills, mood tracking, and personalized strategies to help manage triggers, anxiety, and emotional distress. With its gentle, self-paced approach, the app provides survivors with practical support, education, and hope—anytime, anywhere.