I didn't think she [my therapist] could relate to what I was exposed to.

Well, my therapist had all of her diplomas on the wall.

I didn't feel threatened that she wasn't in the military,

but I felt that she had a lot of college, and she was going to

give me something that she'd learned in college.

There's a saying that we had in the military, "You have

a lot of book sense, but you don't have no common sense."

So I knew she was smart, but I didn't think she could relate

to what I was exposed to in my trauma.

So, yes I had that same thought, and most soldiers

probably will feel that way: "You got a lot of book sense,

but you don't actually have that on-the-ground training."

So I felt that way as well, but I had to overlook that.

And the more sessions that I had with her,

I was able to, as I would say, drop my guard.