Kate Dahlstedt, MA, is the co-founder of Soldier's Heart. In 2018, she retired from day-to-day activities but continues to provide family support. Kate holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology as well as post-graduate certification from the Hartford Family Institute. She has maintained a private practice for nearly three decades, is an experienced group leader, and has additional clinical experience in sexual assault, Hospice and college counseling. She is a published writer of journal articles, poetry and anthology chapters and has also been an adjunct professor at Russell Sage College in Troy, NY. The daughter of a WWII veteran, Kate spent many hours as a child asking her father about his army experiences. She is grateful that even though war broke his heart it did not break his spirit.
John Becknell, Ph.D. is a leadership, organizational and community development consultant. His ongoing work and research seeks to bring together veterans, first responders and civilian societies in ways that promote a communal knowledge, holding and tending of the experiences and memories of those performing difficult and traumatic tasks and duties on behalf of others. John was a civilian paramedic for 18 years and has worked with Soldier’s Heart since 2008.
Paul Henderson, JD, is a veteran, practicing lawyer, certified breathwork facilitator, and ordained minister (non-denominational). He volunteered for the US Army in 1968, served in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division and retired in 1996, serving a total of 23 years in combat arms in the active and reserve components. During the mid 1990’s he was forced to deal with his own psychic trauma from war. Since that time he has devoted himself to working with other veterans to heal the deep wounds to the mind and spirit from combat. He has been a frequent speaker to various organizations on veterans issues as well as a facilitator for veteran workshops. He volunteers as a pilot for the Veterans Airlift Command—a non-profit group that provides free private air transport for disabled service members and veterans who have difficulties using commercial air travel. He lives and works in Vancouver, WA.
Donald Glen Miller served as a team leader, 75th Rangers/LRRPs, M Company attached to the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, Vietnam 1969–70. Glen was drafted into the Army immediately after graduating from Temple University in Philadelphia. He writes poetry about his struggles with memories of combat and his quest for joyful living. Glen and his wife Mary started Veterans Community Network to support best practices regarding transition from combat into a productive and joyful life.
Mary Tendall, M.A., LMFT, has worked for over 20 years with combat veterans and their families, She is a licensed psychotherapist, specializing in combat-related PTSD. She has consulted for the Gulf War Resource Center, National Public Radio, and Newsweek. She continues to work with combat veterans and their families, and is affiliated with several national non-profits whose goal is to help veterans, such as VietNow, Soldier’s Heart, Train Down, and America’s Heroes First. She can be reached by e-mail at .
Rev. Chris J. Antal is Community Minister with the Church of the Larger Fellowship, a member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Chris served as an Army Chaplain in Afghanistan and as a hospital chaplain in a regional trauma center. The war healing ministry he established and led out of a congregation in New York was featured on the PBS program “Religion and Ethics Newsweekly,” episode “Healing the Moral Wounds of War.”
Dr. Phil Metres is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Northbrook, IL, for 35 years. He works with individuals, couples, and families, specializing in veterans,reserve/guard and active duty military and their families. He has worked with a wide variety of civilians and military helping people work through depression, anxiety, grief, loss, post traumatic stress disorder, cultural adjustment/readjustment, couple and family conflict. He leads workshops for men through the Victories of the Heart men’s program. He specializes in psychological work with veterans groups & religious retreats. He focuses on the mind/body/spirit interaction and its impact in our lives and families. A Vietnam combat veteran, he is a member of the Lake-Mchenry Veterans and Family Services Governing Council, a 5 year program to assist veterans in Lake & Mchenry Counties in the northern Chicagoland area. He also co-facilitates retreats for men & women through the Soldiers Heart organization.
Rev. John Drinkard served a tour of duty as a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot in Vietnam. Today his work involves helping heal the wounded hearts and souls of Veterans coming home from war. He is an ordained minister at the Institute for Spiritual Development, an interfaith church. John is a hospice volunteer who works with Veterans at the end of life, a bereavement facilitator, and hospice Chaplain. He is the New Jersey contact for Soldier’s Heart and can be reached at jvdrinkard3@verizon.net.
Miguel Rivera, teacher, drummer and translator, is on the Board of Directors of Shade Tree, a mentoring group in Los Angeles, and Western Gateway Roots and Wings Foundation, an organization dedicated to bringing back rites of passage to the youth.