COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., March 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Haven Behavioral Healthcare is sponsoring a free seminar for the mental health and military community with internationally renowned expert Bessel Van der Kolk, MD.  The seminar will take place Monday, March 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Crown Plaza Hotel, 2886 South Circle Drive in Colorado Springs.

"This community-based training will teach us about better and more effective therapies that will help both our military and mental health communities in Colorado Springs," said Brian Duncan, CEO of Warrior Support Center.

Dr. Van der Kolk will be discussing "Frontiers in Trauma Treatment." A trained psychiatrist at Harvard University, he began his career working with veterans of the Vietnam War who were suffering what had been labeled "shell shock" or "battle fatigue" in earlier wars. Dr. Van der Kolk was instrumental in classifying this response to trauma as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and leading field trials that formalized the diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association.

Traumatic experiences alter people's relationship to their bodies in ways that leave them uptight, helpless, disconnected, hurt, on edge, and at odds with themselves and their environment. Neuroscience research is opening new avenues to intervention, treatment and healing.

Dr. Van der Kolk will present state-of-the-art research and current modalities in trauma treatment. His expertise is broadly interdisciplinary and relevant for psychologists, counselors, caregivers, educators, victim advocates, and law enforcement officers.

For more information on the seminar or to register call (719) 465-5000 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .