Resilience and Military Families

This textbook aims to educate students across all mental health disciplines on the importance of using resilience as a tool when working with military families.

Julie Canfield, PhD, LICSW, is a clinical instructor at Boston College School for Social Work and maintains a private practice in Boston, Massachusetts, dedicated to providing effective mental health treatment to active-duty service members, military veterans, military-connected children, and families impacted by military service. Dr. Canfield is the military spouse of a combat veteran and holds a doctorate in social work from Smith College School of Social Work. Her research career has focused on improving clinical treatment and practices for childhood trauma, secondary traumatization in family systems, and improving professional resilience among child and family trauma therapists. Dr. Canfield holds a master's degree in social work from Hunter College of the City University of New York and a bachelor's degree from New York University.

Introduction Part I: Pre-Deployment Resiliency: "The Calm before the Storm" 1. Military Family Culture 2. Resiliency in the Military Family 3. Assessing Military Family Capacity to Manage Stress Part II: Deployment Resiliency: "Managing the Storm" 4. Military Families Adapting to Stress 5. Attachment Disruptions and Coping Strategies 6. Trauma, Attachment, and Treatment Interventions Part III: Post-Deployment Resiliency: "Assessing the Effects of the Storm" 7. Posttraumatic Stress in Family Life 8. Injuries of War and the Military Family 9. Military Families Transition to Civilian Life