The Power of Play Therapy: How One Veteran Found Healing from PTSD

For years, Jonathan “J” Dagen found life anything but joyful. An Army veteran who survived combat, homelessness, and years of emotional pain, J struggled daily trying to find peace. He never imagined a friendly voice on the phone and a pre-packaged LEGO® building kit would lead him out of the darkness.

But they did. 

As J clicked each piece of colorful plastic into place, he found something unexpected: a reason to keep going.

When J found Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), he found the support and resources he needed to process his past trauma.

Through weekly conversations, adventure retreats, and play therapy, J gained confidence and hope for a future he hadn’t thought possible.

J’s journey proves that sometimes what you need to thrive is some faith, a friendly voice, and a bit of creativity.

A Smile He Couldn’t Forget

J joined the Army at age 19, excited about the future.

A few years later, after 9/11, he deployed to support Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he focused on recovering and salvaging equipment and parts. While his position didn’t directly involve combat, he was very close to the impacts of war.

“I didn’t know what to expect when I got over there. I only knew what the movies showed. But there’s nothing cinematic about it,” said J, who relied on humor with his unit to cope. “We needed some levity with the things we saw.”

During one deployment, J and his unit befriended a group of local Iraqi children. “The kids had a ball, so we’d play soccer with them. There was one young girl … she would always come over and I’d give her treats. I was always smiling with the kid.”

He didn’t know her name, so he lovingly called her “crumb snatcher.”

One day, shots rang out and mortar rounds hit their location. J hit the ground without thinking – his training kicking in immediately.

When the dust cleared, he found the little girl had died in the blast.

More than 20 years later, J still clearly recalls his thoughts as he covered her with a poncho. “When I got up from the ground, and I saw they had hit her, I cried. I had no power. I couldn’t do anything to stop it,” he said.

J recalls a deep sense of guilt. But he pushed his feelings down, telling himself to get through and get home to his soon-to-be wife Miriam.

Embarrassed to Ask for Help

When he returned to the States, J was excited for the future. “Miriam and I were getting married, and I was excited to go to college and get a good job,” he said.

J wanted to teach after graduating from the University of Colorado with a bachelor’s degree in history. But memories of the little girl in Iraq haunted him day and night. 

“I’d see visions of her everywhere, not just in my dreams,” said J, who often awoke screaming from nightmares. “I started seeing the little girl while I was trying to [student] teach.”

Miriam was at a loss for how to help her husband. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was a lesser-known injury at the time.

“I spent many years confused about how to help my husband after he got back from the war,” she said. “I knew something was wrong as he would sometimes cry in his sleep, and other times he seemed to talk to someone, asking for forgiveness.”

J dismissed Miriam whenever she tried to talk to him about his experiences. “She would ask me questions, and I’d tell her stuff, silly stuff, nothing too serious,” he said. “I was embarrassed to talk about things. I knew something was broken, but no one really knew my pain. I’d hide it through humor.”

For years, J struggled to cope with the trauma he’d experienced. Although he connected with a few local programs for veterans and tried counseling, nothing seemed to work long-term. “I felt like a failure,” he said.

At first, J brushed off the setbacks. But as job after job slipped away, the shame grew heavier, sinking him into depression, pushing Miriam away, and leaving him without a home.

‘Someone Heard Me’

J describes that period of his life as a series of bad choices; however, he vividly recalls the night everything changed.

“I was sleeping in Bear Creek Park in Colorado Springs, and I remember having this ominous feeling that I didn’t think I was going to make it. I didn’t know I was capable of hurting myself, but I didn’t want to be here anymore.”

If you, or someone you know, needs support, you can call, text, or chat with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 988 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting "TALK" to 741741

Then he remembered a card in his wallet – one a fellow veteran had given him months earlier. It was for Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP).
He dialed the number.

“This lady [Angelic] answered, and I told her, ‘I don’t know how to explain to you what’s going on, but I’m on the side of the road and I need help.’”

Angelic Johnson from the WWP Resource Center comforted J and arranged for him to stay in a nearby hotel that night. “It was the best sleep I’d had in years,” he recalled.

It also began a new chapter for J. 

“Someone heard me. They listened,” he said. “I told her there are probably other deserving veterans who need more help than me, but she didn’t let me go.”

Sharing Leads to Understanding

In May 2023, J registered for WWP Talk, a courageous move that opened the door to healing with guidance and emotional support via a weekly phone call.

I want to show others that it's OK to struggle. But it's also OK to laugh, to build, to move forward.

Though nervous about sharing details of the past, J felt reassured when he learned his coach’s name – Jay Fawcett. He recalls her voice being bright and nonjudgmental. “She listened to me. She asked me questions and helped me see that I could grow, that I had potential,” said J.

During their weekly calls, she helped J set small, realistic goals using the SMART method. He began to explore new ways to cope with stress and other symptoms of PTSD, and although he resisted it at first, J started to journal.

“Five minutes felt like an hour,” he recalled. “But eventually it became a daily habit.” 

J wrote about the hard days and the victories. Over time, he became more comfortable sharing his innermost thoughts and feelings. His journal became a way to communicate with himself, and as a result, J gained clarity.

“Sometimes what’s said in silence, in those pages, is the truth. I learned I wasn’t a coward. I was human,” he said.

Rebuilding Life, Piece by Piece

J looked forward to his WWP Talk calls, and slowly, he gained confidence.

“WWP Talk was the best thing. It inspired every other journey. Jay and I would focus on different aspects of healing. As I improved in one area, she would guide me to identify other areas. I started pushing my boundaries a little at a time,” he said.

Miriam noticed subtle changes and encouraged him to trust the process.

In late June 2023, J participated in a Project Odyssey retreat. He went to Meramec Ranch in Missouri for the week-long program, which relies on outdoor adventures to help strengthen coping skills and build resilience. He credits the program for helping him better understand himself.  

J recalls a pivotal moment when he was asked to repurpose a broken object. He picked up a shattered cup and reassembled it.  

“I realized that cup was my life. It wasn’t perfect, but it held together. That resonated.”

The Power of Play: A Metaphor for Life

During this time, Miriam gifted J a LEGO set based on a popular cartoon series. He built it, but it didn’t bring him joy, so he tore it apart and built something new.

Looking at his creation, J realized that the tiny colored bricks were a metaphor for his life.

“Just because something comes with instructions doesn’t mean you have to follow them. You have the power to create something new,” he said.

Soon, the Dagens' home began to look like a toy store, with piles of small plastic building blocks strewn about. But J didn’t see disarray; he saw endless possibilities.

Play therapy helped him manage his PTSD symptoms. Some days, he would sit for hours, creating, tearing down, and rebuilding. The process was almost meditative.

“It became my channel for stress, because when I’m building, I’m not worried or thinking about other things,” J explained. “It was like my wheelbarrow, helping me carry the weight of things I couldn’t talk about.”

Getting Stronger, Piece by Piece

As J began to make strides in his mental health, he and Miriam decided to focus on rebuilding their marriage. They attended a Couples Project Odyssey retreat in St. Louis, a turning point in their relationship. 

“My marriage is my biggest accomplishment. The one thing I did right was marry Miriam, who loves me unconditionally,” said J.

Attending this program together gave Miriam more insight into PTSD and her husband’s experiences, but it also allowed her to gain information and tools to support him better. 

“[J] is a different person today than he was two years ago because of Wounded Warrior Project," said Miriam. "He is fully here now. He is happy. His smile is back. He is dreaming about achieving his goals again."

She added that now, if J has a hiccup, he relies on the lessons he’d learned to re-center himself. 

“Now, he doesn’t spiral. He says, ‘OK, move on.’ That’s not who he was before.”

Mental Health is Physical, Too

As J’s mental resilience improved, he felt compelled to improve his physical health and well-being.

“I want my physical health to match the life I’m living mentally,” he said.

He chose cycling as his outlet and in September 2024, participated in a Colorado Springs Soldier Ride® event. The experience further motivated him.

In January 2025, he attended a WWP Physical Health and Wellness Expo and is now eating better and moving more. As a result, he’s lost more than 20 pounds and found that his energy has increased.

“Now, I’m aiming to be the guy in the middle of the pack during my next Soldier Ride, instead of trailing at the back,” he said.

Playing it Forward: Saying Thanks and Helping Others

“Wounded Warrior Project is the safest place I’ve been. There are a lot of veterans like me. I know I’m not alone anymore,” J said.

To honor his healing journey, J began using LEGO bricks to create miniature replicas of his WWP adventures. He shared his builds with staff and fellow warriors.

His first diorama represented his time with WWP Talk. Then came a Project Odyssey piece. Currently, he’s working on something to represent Soldier Ride.

The details are precise: look-alike mini figures of staff members and other participants, and one-of-a-kind 3D printed bricks that J designs to help recreate certain scenes from his experiences. Some pieces include automation, lights, and even smoke.

J recently launched a YouTube channel to teach others about play therapy and show his creations. He also joined forces with Jay to present a series of virtual LEGO University sessions for WWP warriors to learn more about the therapeutic aspects of play therapy. More than 100 warriors registered for the initial session. WWP will host three more events in fall 2025.

Additionally, J is engaging with local Peer Support Groups to grow connections with other warriors. He hopes to become a peer support leader in the future.

“I want to show others that it’s OK to struggle. But it’s also OK to laugh, to build, to move forward,” he said.

Advice From One Veteran to Another  Along with sharing his love for play therapy, J hopes his journey inspires others. He offers three pieces of advice: Invest in yourself. “Ask for help. You’re worth it.” Baby steps matter. “It starts with one day, then one day becomes two.” Change your perspective. “Words have power. Speak to yourself like you matter – because you do. I didn’t realize how much my words held me back until I changed them.”

‘You Are Your Greatest Resource’

J knows his journey isn’t over, but his burdens have become lighter. He’s learned that his greatest resource isn’t a mound of plastic bricks or any one program, it’s himself.

“Jay always reminds me: ‘You are your greatest resource.’ Wounded Warrior Project gave me tools. They gave me a place to belong. But at the end of the day, I had to pick them up and use them,” said J.

As he looks lovingly at his wife, he smiles. “And I did. “I’m not just participating in life anymore. I’m living it.”

Learn more about WWP's mental health and wellness resources, which are available to warriors and their families.

Contact: Cynthia Weiss – Public Relations, cweiss@woundedwarriorproject.org, 904.738.2589

About Wounded Warrior Project

Wounded Warrior Project is our nation’s leading veterans service organization, focused on the total well-being of post-9/11 wounded, ill, or injured veterans. Our programs, advocacy, and awareness efforts help warriors thrive, provide essential lifelines to families and caregivers, and prevent veteran suicides. Learn more about Wounded Warrior Project.