Warriors Heart Treatment
Warriors Heart is a treatment facility for military, law enforcement, and first responders who want and/or need help from substance abuse, alcoholism, or PTS (a term I learned signified that, just because you have flashbacks, anxiety or nightmares doesn’t mean you have a disorder).
I was invited to the ranch, when I went to Texas for the Frontline Healing Foundation, Warriors Picnic. We were given a tour of the Warriors Heart Facility, and when I say I loved it – I mean it.
Once you pass through the gates, something magical happens. I can’t really explain it, other than, it was like any nervousness or fear that I had, was gone. It was beautiful, calm and I was happy to be there.
One of the newer additions on the grounds, is the art studio. When you walk in, you find tables among tables of creative space. You can walk up to the stage to find someone airbrushing, or into the spray-painting booth and find paintings of galaxies you wouldn’t know your mind was capable of imagining. Even walking over to the works in progress, though not finished, they were masterpieces.
Warriors Heart believes in the healing process of creativity. Understating the distinctive mindset of those who walk through their doors, the team at Warriors Heart helps to train everyone how to use the work and effort learned on the battlefield and channel it to a different form of activity – wood working, metal shop, culinary skills and the art studio. For these men and women, hard work is the way of life, and the ability to hone that indisputable ethic into a form of creative mastery allows them to focus and heal at the same time.
Art therapy can be beneficial to people of all ages, including our nation’s Veterans who return home with acute psychological or medical conditions that impair functioning, disrupt relationships, and prevent reentry into society. For Veterans who are receiving care for PTS and other ailments, art therapy has proven to be an effective form of treatment, when combined with other treatments.
One of my personal favorite stops, was the K-9 building. Before even walking in you know that not a single dog is treated poorly – they even require you to wash off your feet before entering, so the dogs don’t get sick – and then you’re in doggy heaven. The sounds of every dog, waiting to be loved was like music to my ears. They are all so sweet and it’s wonderful to know that people get help from amazing animals like these.
The Warriors Heart K9 Department provides our clients with the opportunity to purchase a Service or ESA K9 through the Academy program. Each Warriors Heart dog is trained to become an Emotional Support Animal or a Service Animal so that the client can travel with, house, and utilize the dog within ADA compliance.
For clients not interested in becoming a Handler, the K9 Experience program is a more therapeutic approach. Clients can learn about obedience training, participate in weekly Classroom presentations, go on nature hikes, and simply enjoy spending time with our canine Warriors.
Everyone at Warriors Heart made me feel like I was welcome. I never felt like a visitor, or like an outsider – I felt like I belonged among family and friends. I can understand how someone going through healing, could truly find this place to be a safety for them.
The Frontline Healing Foundation event was so awesome! It was held at Dog and Pony; and though it was hot, every little drop of sweat, and every little thought of stress anyone had, was worth it. I worked in the merchandise section, and it was so cool to see not just how many people were there, but how many people would raise money for such a good cause! There was a silent auction and a live auction that were so fun. It was the end of the night; everyone was laughing and giggling! You really got to see another side of everybody.
The three founders of Warriors Heart, Mr. Tom Spooner, Mrs. Laurie Spooner, Mr. Josh Lannon, and Mrs. Lisa Lannon are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. If you think about it, they have saved so many people from what could have ended up badly to living their best lives. It was so amazing to see all these people as happy as they were, and grateful for how Warriors Heart has saved their lives!
This place truly is magical. Everyone gets along, everyone’s always happy, and it’s just so pure hearted. Warriors Heart just celebrated the opening of their second location in Virginia, which means they can now reach people who aren’t able to visit the Texas location.
I may be 11, and don’t need to be at Warriors Heart for healing, but my heart wants to be there.