The Invisible Wounds

A Perspective on Mental Health Issues During the Civil War

by Hilda C. Koontz

The knowledge, diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues were basically non-existent during the American Civil War. As a result, great damage was inflicted on thousands of soldiers as well as civilians, endangering the overall war effort and increasing postwar societal upheaval. This program examines the extreme psychological stress suffered by the average Civil War soldier and compares that experience to today’s understanding and treatment of trauma-induced mental health issues. Special emphasis will be given to the condition we now call Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Our speaker is Hilda C. Koontz, who holds an MA in Counseling Psychology from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul MN and devoted more than 20 years of her professional career to counseling. She is a former reviewer for Consulting Psychologist Press and member of the American Counseling Association. Since 2001, she has been a frequent speaker for the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, the Little Big Horn Associates, and for numerous historical organizations, including many Civil War Round Tables in the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as in Chicago and St. Louis. Ms. Koontz is a Past President, and current Vice President of the Civil War Round Table of Gettysburg PA and a member of the Company of Military Historians.

Join us for a Friendly & Fun Evening of Civil War History!

Doors open at 5:30
Meal served at 6:30
Presentation at 7:30

We meet at:

ROYALE ORLEANS BANQUET CENTER
2801 Telegraph Road
Mehlville (St Louis), MO 63125

Dinner and Presentation
Members . . . . . . . . . . . . .$20.00 (each)
Students (under 21). . . . . $7.00 (each)
Guests & Others . . . . . . . $25.00 (each)
Members who do not make an advance dinner reservation will be charged $25.00
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Presentation ONLY
Members/Students . . . . . $ 5.00 (each)
Guests & Others . . . . . . . $10.00 (each)

NOTE: We accept all major credit/debit cards, cash, and checks at our meetings.

Please note – there is a $14.00 per person charge for anyone who registers for dinner and does not show up.  No refunds unless we are notified by 5 p.m. on Sunday prior to the meeting.

Hilda C. Koontz