PTSD EDUCATION THAT RESPECTS YOUR INTELLIGENCE

Understand PTSD. Find the right tools. Bring Virginia’s expertise to your people.

Virginia Cruse is a combat Veteran, licensed trauma therapist, educator, and author of the PTSD Recovery Series. Her books make complicated clinical information understandable. Her counseling, training, and presentations help people put that knowledge into practice.

Virginia Cruse, licensed trauma therapist, combat Veteran and author
The PTSD Recovery Series
Books from Virginia Cruse's PTSD Recovery Series
Author
& Educator

Combat Veteran

MILITARY-CULTURE INFORMED

LPC-S · NCC

LICENSED TRAUMA THERAPIST

Author & Educator

EIGHT PUBLISHED BOOKS

Evidence-Based

PE & CPT TRAINED

5 States

TX · OK · LA · AR · OH

The PTSD Recovery Series

Start with the book written for where you are.

No psychobabble. No pretending recovery is easy. Just clear explanations, practical tools, and the honest next step.

The Soldier's Guide to PTSD book cover

Best place to start for

SERVICE MEMBERS & VETERANS

The Soldier’s Guide to PTSD

How to no-sh*t reclaim your life. Straight talk on trauma, symptoms, and the treatments that actually work.

Acknowledge and Heal book cover

Best place to start for

WOMEN & PARTNERS

PTSD: Acknowledge & Heal

A women-focused guide to understanding PTSD causes, symptoms, and effects on daily life.

The PTSD Field Manual book cover

Best place to start for

FIRST RESPONDERS & FAMILIES

After the Call

You're not weak. You're human. A no-nonsense guide to PTSD for EMS, fire, dispatch, and law enforcement — and the people who love them.

PTSD Recovery Series book bundle

Get the bundle (5 book series)

THE COMPLETE MILITARY SERIES

The PTSD Recovery Collection

All four military titles — the Guide, the Workbook, the Field Manual, and the Field Journal — in one set.

WHAT READERS SAY

Trusted because it tells the truth plainly.

4.6 ★

Reader favorite on Amazon and Goodreads

★★★★★

David · Amazon book review

★★★★★

RJ· Amazon book review

These are reviews of Virginia’s books, not testimonials for clinical services. Ratings and review counts may change over time.

Portrait of Virginia Cruse

“Everyone deserves to recover from PTSD and reclaim their lives.”

Virginia Cruse · 2025 Tillman Scholar

Clinical depth. Military context. Human language.

Virginia knows the gap between hearing a diagnosis and actually understanding what it means for your life.

She enlisted in the Army Reserve in 1997, served in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, and later transitioned to the mental health field. Today, she brings the perspective of a combat Veteran, licensed professional counselor-supervisor, researcher, educator, and author to every room she enters.

Her style is direct and practical: explain what is happening, name what can help, and give people a next step they can actually use.

A book can start the conversation. Virginia can help you take it further.

Bring the PTSD Recovery Series into your organization as more than a handout. Pair the books with a keynote, training, facilitated discussion, or custom learning experience built for your people.

Work with Virginia

Give your audience more than awareness.

Build understanding, create a shared language, and leave people with practical tools they can use after the event ends.

01

Speaking & Keynotes

Candid, credible presentations that make PTSD and moral injury understandable without reducing people to a diagnosis.

02

Training & Workshops

Practical education for military, Veteran, first responder, behavioral health, and community-serving organizations.

03

Facilitated Book Programs

Turn a shared read into a deeper learning experience with guided discussion, exercises, and Virginia’s expertise.

04

Organizational Consultation

Help leaders communicate about trauma, build informed programs, and connect people with the right next step.

05

Bulk Books & Program Packages

Equip a unit, team, class, peer group, or event with books and a learning experience built around them.

06

Leadership Training & Coaching

Practical training for commanders, chiefs, and supervisors who want to spot trauma early, talk about it without making it worse, and build teams that stay in the fight.

Follow publicly. Go deeper intentionally.

Virginia’s public Facebook Page is the front door for new writing, book news, and practical PTSD education. The private group is a smaller, more personal space for people who are a genuine fit.

PUBLIC COMMUNITY

42K+

Follow the PTSD Recovery Series

Practical education, new resources, book updates, and conversation.

SELECTIVE PRIVATE GROUP

1.7K+

Apply to join the community

A more intimate setting with an application and clear expectations for participation.

Keep learning with Virginia.

Clear explanations for the moments when a diagnosis, symptom, or relationship pattern finally needs to make sense.

Trauma recovery

8 Ways Unhealed Trauma Shows Up in Everyday Life

Connection

Why Connection Matters in PTSD Recovery

Perspective

Stop Comparing Pain: Why Ranking Trauma Misses the Point

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Get to know Virginia and the work.

Still not sure where to begin?
Request a short, non-confidential call and the right next step can be sorted out from there.

Is Virginia available for speaking and training?

Yes. Virginia is available for keynotes, workshops, professional training, facilitated book programs, and select organizational consulting. Use the Work With Virginia inquiry to share your audience, goals, location, and timing.

What topics does Virginia speak about?

Her core topics include PTSD, moral injury, trauma recovery, evidence-based treatment, military and Veteran culture, first responder wellness, and how families and organizations can respond more effectively.

Which PTSD Recovery Series book should I start with?

The Soldier’s Guide to PTSD is the clearest starting point for military members, Veterans, and families. Acknowledge & Heal was written with women and trauma survivors in mind. The Field Manual and companion workbooks and journals are designed for readers ready for structured follow-through.

Can an organization order books in bulk?

Yes. Bulk orders and book-centered program packages can be discussed for units, nonprofits, conferences, treatment programs, peer groups, and professional education settings.

Does Virginia provide counseling?

Virginia currently does not offer counseling.

What are Virginia’s credentials and background?

Virginia Cruse is an LPC-S, NCC, combat Veteran, trauma therapist, educator, published researcher, author, and 2025 Tillman Scholar. Her work is informed by military service, clinical practice, and evidence-based PTSD treatment.

Is the private Facebook group open to everyone?

No. The public Facebook Page is the best place to follow Virginia’s work. The private PTSD Recovery Series community is intended to be a more personal, focused setting, so prospective members are asked to apply and agree to the community standards.

Does an email or website inquiry begin a counseling relationship?

No. Sending an email, form, or social message does not establish a counselor-client relationship. A clinical relationship begins only after acceptance as a client and completion of the practice’s intake and informed-consent process. Do not send confidential or emergency information through a general inquiry.

PTSD Recovery Series - Get the Help You Need

Public-facing work via Virginia Cruse and The PTSD Recovery Series. Clinical services are not currently being offered.

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IMPORTANT

Website information is educational and is not medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or a substitute for professional care.

In an emergency: This website, email, and social media are not crisis services. Call 911, go to the nearest emergency room, or call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

© 2026 Virginia Cruse. All rights reserved.

Military Counseling Center San Antonio, PLLC