"At ease" is the message Birmingham-based non-profit Sojourn Counseling is sending to Alabamians with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While PTSD is most associated with veterans and first responders, they're not the only people who the counseling service helps.
With the introduction of the PTSD Awareness Distinctive License Plate, Sojourn Counseling aims to spark conversations, reduce stigma and foster a community of support for those affected. The group has been working diligently to get the 1,000 commitments needed to launch the plate, but the deadline is quickly approaching, and they are only halfway to their goal. This is why they're offering the first year of the plate complementary to those who commit to it on their website.
The organization's founder, Beau Armistead, said the plate will do more than help the organization provide services to those in need. He hopes the license plate acts as a "mini-billboard of hope" for those with PTSD and their loved ones.
The imagery on the plate was selected with care. The words "At Ease" reference the relaxed military stance, as well as the goal in healing from PTSD, to live life at ease, without anxiety, anger and hypervigilance. The image of the swallow bird is traditionally a sailor's tattoo, symbolizing returning home safely from a long Journey. Similarly, it's Sojourn's goal to show a path to healing and felt safety. The anchor symbolizes stability in a storm, a symbol of hope during trauma. Finally, as is standard on Alabama plates, the heart imagery with the idea of green symbolizes hope for new growth and healing.
Sojourn offers counseling and neurofeedback services to help clients regain their peace of mind. Through sliding-scale pricing, its services are accessible to as many people as possible, regardless of their ability to pay. Last year, they served over 800 clients and provided over $300,000 worth of care.
Using a personalized combination of proven therapies, Sojourn helps its patients "process through the trauma" and get unstuck. Armistead explains that while individuals remember the traumatic experience or experiences that brought them there, they don't feel the moment the same way.
One patient described their experience, saying, "I am a former infantry sergeant and team leader who spent roughly four years in Afghanistan following 9/11. Seeking help was fairly difficult for me, as it is for many veterans. Like most, weakness is a four-letter word, and being mentally traumatized is very much held to be a weakness.
"When I first stepped into Beau's office, I had anxiety and panic attack so frequently and severe that I avoided leaving the house at all costs. I had reached a point where I simply didn't want to exist anymore.
"Today, thanks to Beau and his urging me to try EMDR and MCN, my life is completely different, and I actually want to live it. I'm in school full-time, my relationships with my family are dramatically improved. I'm simply not the same person that walked through his door more than two years ago. He will probably disagree, but I'm alive today because I put my faith in a civilian I thought couldn't understand let alone help me."
Too frequently, those with PTSD are told to just cope with or manage the daily impacts of trauma, which can range from flashbacks and nightmares to fear of normal day-to-day activities, which doesn't allow them to live their lives to their fullest. Armistead said, "My message is that there's hope for healing."
PTSD affects millions of people worldwide, often arising from traumatic experiences like combat, accidents or abuse. Despite its widespread impact, individuals who struggle with it continue to face stigma and obstacles in accessing the necessary support and resources — a stigma that Armistead hopes to help eliminate with the mini-billboards. He firmly believes that lives can be transformed and saved if his campaign to launch the plate is successful.
Through their At Ease website, Sojourn sends a message: "PTSD does not discriminate; neither does healing. There is HOPE for healing from PTSD and trauma!" Currently, the site focuses on Alabama resources, but in the future, Armistead said he'd like to provide national ones as well.
Although all the staff members are Christian, Sojourn is not a faith-based organization: "I'm a counselor who is Christian, not a Christian counselor." He pointed out that those at Sojourn are clinical counselors and use clinical therapy modalities.
He hopes the license plate campaign succeeds, emphasizing that treatment saves lives. Those who pre-commit will not have to pay anything out of pocket. The fee going forward at the time of renewal is tax-deductible. Those who get the plate can also personalize it at no additional charge.
Apryl Marie Fogel is a Birmingham resident who frequently appears on and guest hosts radio programs around the state. She can be reached at aprylmarie.fogel@1819news.com or on X and Facebook at @aprylmarie.
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