PROVO, Utah — A mental health therapist is using his military service to better understand his patients who are veterans.
Sgt. Nathan Pond enlisted with the United States Army Reserve more than a decade ago at the age of 32. He chose to become a soldier after a patient died by suicide. “After that, I committed to myself,” Sgt. Pond said. “I want to understand the language and I want to understand the life of a soldier so that I can help soldiers like I want to."
After his unique journey to the military, Sgt. Pond holds a squad leader position. He manages to juggle his military service with his career as a therapist and a single father of five. “We all have the potential to achieve great things,” he said. “Sometimes there is a lot of stuff we have to overcome and for a lot of people, it's not worth it. The Army doesn’t take anyone and you have to meet standards to make it in.”
He adds that if people can meet those standards and are dedicated to service and making a difference, joining the military can be rewarding and life-changing.
For Sgt. Pond, serving his country, has allowed him to find a greater purpose. He believes his communication with his patients who are veterans has improved because he now has a better understanding of the issues they face. “It's also restructured how I approach therapy,” he said. “A lot of people in the military are typically more reserved or hesitant to talk, so I switch my approach to help open up that dialogue and communication.”
Sgt. Pond is the subject of a video produced by the U.S. Army Reserve. Watch the video here.
