Couples Therapy with Jonathan Shippey

Military Relationships

Before becoming a therapist, Jonathan was a medical platoon leader in a US Army tank battalion, followed by service as the company commander of the Heidelberg Army Hospital during Operation Desert Storm.

Here is a description of his army experience and how it led to his current vocation: “Because of our unit’s location in Germany and the fact that the hospital company was made up of a wide variety of medical specialists, our soldiers were detailed out to, and then deployed with, other units one by one. Our post chaplain and I teamed up to offer a support group for the families left behind by my soldiers’ deployments. Leading this group helped me realize two valuable insights: I had found my calling, and…I was not yet equipped to fulfill it. This realization led me to leave the army later that year and ultimately to enter a master’s program in marriage and family therapy where I discovered my desire to further specialize and focus on helping couples.”

Because he is a veteran himself and has worked with many couples where one member is serving or has served in the military, Jonathan is uniquely qualified to understand the stresses that service members and veterans face in their relationships. Military families can trust Jonathan’s skills and experience to help them navigate the impact of service and deployments on family life.