Michael, I wanted to send you a brief thank you note. I met you when I was in the deepest emotional distress I’ve felt in my life. You accepted the challenge and had an immediate impact on my spirit and soul. I week later, and after my time with you I can feel myself climbing out of the abyss. I still have much work to do, but now I know it is possible and I have hope.
I’ve rediscovered my spirit. I’ve been learning about anxiety management, techniques for self-soothing, thought interruption and the window of tolerance you spoke of. I’ve confessed my wrongs, re-scripted the negatives and now focus on the positives. I spent hours discussing my insecurities, guilt and fears. I’ve been staying as present in the moment as I can. I’ve kept an active journal, with more reflection than I can remember at any time in my life. I know what kind of man I am! I know WHO I want to become, and I am forging a new path.
I spent more time with my son this week. It was special to be with him again! I am actively talking with Carol about spending more time together. I have not touched alcohol, nor do I have any desire to. I believe I deserve to be happy.
You should be very proud of yourself. Your journey is uniquely your own. You are insightful, spiritual, and connected with the world. You love fiercely. You have honor. You are a man in every sense of the word. I admire how you help people, especially soldiers returning home after trauma. And it sounds like you are well on your way with your Ph.D.
I hope our paths cross again soon. This week you where not just a friend, but a spiritual guide. Going forward you will remain as such. I hope you will consider me a friend too and would be delighted to help you in anyway I can.
From my heart and soul, I want to thank you.
Daniel
After working with you and doing the EMDR therapy Luke has been doing great! He is no longer hyper-vigilant about my driving and watching other cars on the road like he was after the accident. He is much more relaxed, and has gained a lot of confidence through gymnastics, which he just started, and has quickly learned how to do front flips, and no-handed cartwheels. We had no idea he had this talent! Thank you so much for helping my son get over his PTSD from a bad car accident. I am truly grateful.
Blessings,
Sandra
Female Veterans
I just wanted to thank you for the work you do and the time you take every cohort to work with all of us. I could see the caring and understanding in your eyes. You have seen the darkness yourself and your honesty and blunt way of making us see the truth is exactly what I needed. I had mad respect for you and after going through so many doctors and therapist for years all I can say is I wish I could import you into Canada to help so many of my friends who need the same guidance you provide. You are a very special person and I will never forget the work you did with us and the telling of “IRON JOHN”. I started reading the book myself and it has really opened my eyes into my childhood and why I have had so many issues in my life. I love you and hope to meet you again when I shepherd another flock.
All the best Dr. Hofrath
Female Veteran Testimonials
Michael, I wanted to thank you for your valuable insight you provided. I feel so much more confident knwoing that I’m not wrong for feeling the way I felt for so long, which in itself is a huge step forward. The other day I met an older couple from Quebec and we were talking about our travels and she said to me “You have such a great energy!” which honestly isn’t something I’ve heard since before my accident last year. Some days I feel like I’ll never be my old self again, but it was such a joy to hear the pain of what I’ve endured for once wasn’t written all over my face.
I continue to meditate and am really sensing a difference in how I feel throughout each day. I also stopped taking all the prescribed medications. I had been taking anti-anxiety, anti-depressants, etc. I am finally able to wake up early and not feel groggy! I even had a lucid dream that was not going the way I wanted it to and was actually able to control the outcome. There have been so many positive changes, but I realize I still have a long way to go.
Thank you for being there for us during this amazing experience. You saved my life in so many ways.
Sincerely,
Rachel
Dr. Hofrath,
I want to thank you for your support. You did an awesome job and thank you for being you! I gained so much knowledge and courage from your teachings. I have been lost for a long time on how to be strong person, but your presence showed me and led me to my true strength. You showed me that I could stand tall and not be afraid to be who I am, or who I will become. I have learned how to be genuine and authentic on my journey toward becoming my true Self! Thank you and much love Michael!
Love you,
Brett
Male Veterans
I worked with Michael during a trauma recovery program in which he was the Head of Trauma Intervention for veterans and first responders struggling with post-traumatic and combat-related stress. He helped me to come to terms. As a former firefighter I experienced several traumatic experiences that I knew Michael’s intuition and insight could help me breakthrough other life challenges.
After the program I began working with Dr. Hofrath on a deeper level. He really knows what he is doing, but even more importantly he guides you to connect with the deeper truths that we tend to run from.
He ended my suffering and helped me to reclaim my life and find my life purpose. He is a true soul healer who understands the importance of doing the deeper soul work to heal and become whole again.
Steve
Dr. Hofrath I wanted to take the time to say thank you for all that you do, and all that you have done for me! From our discussions about faith, to just everyday life, you where such a great teacher and a breath of fresh air from all the diagnosis’s and labels of the clinical world. I am so happy you are involved in working with veterans and that I had the honor to meet you. I will never be able to repay you for your kindness and compassion but will do my best to pay it forward.
Warmest Regards,
Karl
Hello Doc, Thank you for directing your work, research and dissertation toward us Vets. Your analysis of my back and spine where right on target. My x-rays and MRI showed your exact diagnosis. I am excited to follow through on your specific recommendations for thoracic collapse syndrome through core strengthening. I have followed through on my meditation and am connecting with others from an authentic place. Again, thanks for being there and being you!
Best,
Blake
Update: Since returning home I worked with an Orthopedic surgeon and he will correct the grade II dislocation at L 5 and S-1. Thanks for the diagnosis and recommendations.
Hey Doc, You have been such a motivator and inspiration to me ever since you first introduced yourself. Your humility and ingenuity are traits that I wish everyone in this world had. Everything happens for a reason and I am eternally grateful to you.
Your care and understanding during narrative therapy and the Iron John discussion, not only blew my mind, but also gave me the inspiration to become the best me I can be. The ceremonies, rituals, stones…WOW! I have never been so moved before in my life. You saved my marriage, my relationship with my kids, my active-duty career….but most importantly, MY LIFE!!!!
I am forever in debt to you and just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. God Bless you…thank you for bringing me back home.
Dan
Andersen Air Force Base, Guam
Greetings my brother! I wanted to let you know life has been good for me since coming back to the “Known World.” Reflecting on The Heroes Journey, reading my letters, meditating faithfully and doing my bucket work allowed me to overcome so many of my past challenges with greater resilience and emotional control. Thank you for your persistence on my letting go of all the old stories I was holding on to and for the insistence that I forgive myself. I am happy to say I have not had a single nightmare, or a flashback, since the Tuesday morning meditation. Prior to working with you, I had nightmares and/ or flashbacks on a daily basis for years.
I would also like to acknowledge you for your love and support that I so desperately needed throughout the program, and especially for your loving support in the forest the night of our final visit to the labyrinth (leave no man behind). This was unlike anything I have ever sought out for my PTS. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the positive difference you have made in my life and the lives of so many others.
I love you my brother!
John aka. Ltl John
Doc Mike, I really don’t have sufficient words to express how much I appreciate you and what you did for me. There where times I wanted to put your lights out but then you would bring me back to where I needed to be. I had been going to counseling for over 3-years and you did more for me in the 5-days than all those 3-years combined. I was headed down a path of destruction but thanks to you and all the others, I’m headed in the right direction now. It’s definitely not easy but you gave me the necessary tools to help me. My wife could see the change in me when she picked me up at the airport.
Thank you for everything. Hope to see you again soon.
Wayne
“It’s our duty to serve those who serve us”
Chris
Doc Mike, I had so much anger, rage, hurt, pain and spiritual misalignment. I tried to hide and mask it, drink it away, take pills and meds, to numb everything and run away by immersing myself in work. However, on the inside I was slowly dying and was literally one day away from ending my life. I haven’t thought about or contemplated suicide since my experience with you. I believe you are a true Shaman healer.
My time with you was the catalyst that shifted my perspective. You unzipped me and described everything I was feeling on the inside. It was uncanny, almost like you could see inside my brain and body. You stated that my energy/ aura was overwhelmed with negativity and darkness and that this week would be the most emotionally challenging week of my life, but necessary if I wanted to live. You where right! You said I had a choice. I could either go through a cleansing, purification and initiation process much like the ancient warriors of past went through to heal from their war trauma, or I could choose to die. You told me to decide! In that moment all the darkness I had been carrying for years became very real to me. I was evil, ruthless and was forced to watch horrible atrocities under an oath of silence that haunted my daily existence.
I don’t know what you did, but through your words and your somatic work on my body, a shift began to take place for my fellow brothers and myself. That morning I woke up and almost fell over, feeling like I was drunk at our morning meditation. You observed this without me saying a word and told me that my energy and aura had a quality of lightness, and that the dizziness and lack of coordination was only temporary, as my body was going through an adjustment period to attune to my new cleansed and aligned self. I would have never believed it possible if I hadn’t experienced it myself. I sat in a room with my fellow warriors and brothers hurting, and we healed together in 5-days. In less than a week I was given my life back. How is this possible?
I have nothing but love for you in my heart. Thank you so much. I will forever be grateful.
Wes
Doc, Thank you for sharing your story with me and providing much needed insight in to my life. I appreciate your advice and wisdom more than you will ever know. Thank you for your continued work with veterans and your dedication to the cause. I appreciate you helping me get my life back.
Respectfully,
Chris
Dear Michael, This is to thank you for devoting so much time to working with veterans, and so much expertise in advancing their well-being. Your contribution was invaluable and unique! Let me say that, despite the overarching value of remaining ordinary that you transmitted so effectively. It must have been draining to have such intimate and intense involvement, with such powerful stories, all in the course of a single week.
I hope you had time to recover and want you to know I appreciate the quality of that personal contribution. Thank you, as well, for sharing your adventure with us; it provided both context and a reason to do justice to the dedication you showed all week. I look forward to embracing the future with the tools you provided, not the least of which, is the insight you made available.
Thank you again,
Dale
Begin Your Journey
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