Lakeland Warrior Thrives at Women's Tampa Mental Health Workshop

LAKELAND, Fla., July 25, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Women veterans recently attended an all-female Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) mental health workshop in Tampa, Florida. The week kicked off with team building exercises. Throughout the five-day experiential learning event, warriors committed to personal goals they'll focus on for six months after the workshop. While these gatherings are often the first time warriors leave their homes to connect with one another and their communities, warriors return home with a network of supportive bonds to help them on their roads to recovery.

"Bonding with other women warriors was the best thing I've done for myself in 10 years," said Jill Franco, U.S. Army veteran and Lakeland, Florida, resident. "This Wounded Warrior Project mental health workshop allowed us the time to really focus on ourselves by removing outside distractions. It's a lot of work to really look at yourself and invest in your recovery."

Through the generous support of donors, WWP offers veterans specialized mental health programs and services – tailored to each warrior's specific needs and free of charge. One such program is its multi-day mental health workshops that are offered as all-male, all-female, or all-couples. These workshops provide safe, private environments for warriors to express themselves and share their experiences. By the end, warriors share lessons learned from the activities that impacted their personal struggles most and set achievable goals for their recoveries.

WWP staff use experiential, physical activities in a recovery model that allows warriors to be vulnerable to the unknown and identify and work through anxieties together. As warriors challenge themselves through outdoor team building activities that include an intense high climbing obstacle course, they are actively honoring oaths they agreed to at the beginning of the workshop, including "trusting the process" and "being present in their recovery."

"The mental health workshop was more effective than any therapy I've ever been to – and much more rewarding and helpful," Jill said. "I would absolutely encourage other warriors – especially women warriors – to register with Wounded Warrior Project and sign up for this mental health workshop."

To learn and see more about how WWP's mental health workshops connect, serve, and empower wounded warriors, visit https://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/, and click on multimedia.

About Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) connects, serves, and empowers wounded warriors. Read more at https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/mission.

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project