A Narrative of Personal Experiences and Recovery Efforts Carried Out in the Wake of the Virginia Tech Shootings

Abstract

This article will serve as a forum for two graduate students enrolled in Virginia Tech's clinical psychology doctoral program to discuss their experiences on the day of the shootings of April 16, 2007, describing both their personal reactions to the events as well as the playing out of their professional roles immediately following the shootings. Topics discussed include therapeutic clinical work carried out with survivors and family members of the victims on the day of the shootings, clinical work with ongoing patients affected by the shootings, the gathering and developing of training materials for clinicians, teaching courses in the wake of the shootings, and completing assessments of members of the Virginia Tech community for the University's needs-based assessment. The article concludes with a discussion of lessons learned and recommendations for future community disaster relief.

Keywords

shootings disaster therapy teaching Virginia Tech

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