Military Counseling: About VVAW's Military Counselor

Johanna (Hans) Buwalda
M.Ed., M.A., L.C.P.C., Trauma/Mental Health Counseling
vetcounseling@vvaw.org
773-370-4789

My name is Johanna Buwalda, but my friends call me "Hans." I have a lot of fancy initials behind my name, but what they mean is that I have two Master's Degrees-one in Early Childhood Education from the Erikson Institute that I earned in 1997, and one in Psychology from the Chicago School for Professional Psychology in 2001-and that I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Illinois. I'm originally from The Netherlands, but after traveling and living in a number of countries around the world, I settled in Chicago in 1994.

I have more than 20 years of experience as a therapist, administrator, and trainer working with survivors of war-including refugees, torture survivors, development workers, and veterans-in the Netherlands, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and the US; my work in the Philippines was in a war zone. I have written a number of articles, and presented professional conferences, about my work.

I serve as Director of Mental Health at VVAW Military and Veterans Counseling, and as the coordinator for The Soldiers Project-Chicago, a project that connects veterans with mental health professionals who provide free services to them. Additionally, I serve as a clinical volunteer for Civilian Medical Resources Network, and the Kovler Center for the Treatment of Survivors of Torture. I also have a private practice in Chicago.

I feel strongly about issues pertaining to justice, equality, and peace. These values guide both my personal life and my work.