George Ackley was born May 13, 1944, in judicial chambers in Pasadena, California, the son of a Navy chaplain. His father was overseas at the time, and the local courthouse was converted to a hospital as the Second World War carried on.
Ackley, as an officer’s kid, loved to walk around the base and talk to the service members. “It was kind of neat being a military brat,” he said.
Ackley was of-age for the Vietnam draft, but instead enlisted into the Army Reserves and was assigned to the 311 Support Brigade, Santa, where he served from 1968 to 1974. Unusual is that Ackley had a master’s degree in Education when he entered the Army as a private first-class and began his basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina in 1968. He worked as a clerk typist, eventually became a sergeant and platoon leader, and by 1973 had earned a PhD in Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychologists at Los Angeles with an emphasis in child and family psychology.
“The school was new; one of the first specialty schools in the country,” Ackley said.
He was discharged in November 1974 and went into private practice in California. Ackley said he really wanted to be a military service psychologist, but the military branches were not accepting anyone at the time. The Vietnam conflict was winding down and the armed forces were not adding certain positions to their ranks.
Ackley worked in private practice in California until he and his family moved to Cape May County in 1989. He said he was able to work in private practice, counseling Megan’s Law offenders, which are sex offenders, working with the former Cape Counseling, and eventually started to become involved with groups such as the Citizens Veterans Advisory Committee and the Cape May County Division of Veterans Services.
“Both asked about services for PTSD,” Ackley said, referring to post-traumatic stress disorder.
“David Louderback drew me into veterans services,” Ackley said, referring to the previous director.
Ackley said he is working on putting together a clinical program for PTSD sufferers. He said he has led group therapy over the years, and believes it is more helpful than individual treatment alone. Ackley said PTSD takes many forms, and there are many individual symptoms. A lot of the treatment, therefore is likewise individual, yet the group format is often very helpful.
“Oftentimes the way to treat PTSD is in a theatrical-type format,” he said.
Ackley said he works under the theory that one can never truly erase the trauma that led to PTSD.
“Unfortunately, many turn to drugs to mask the feelings,” he said, compounding the PTSD with a drug addiction.
Ackley said drugs simply put a cover over the problems for a while, saying, “But they can build a new life over and above what they experienced.”
So, what what will help instead? “A variety of things,” Ackley said, adding that the treatment is as individual as the client.
Ackley said in working with Megan’s Law offenders there is a point where the clinician tries to get to an understanding of why the person offended. Group treatment, he said, is good, more powerful for some and less for others.
“I take a long-term view of treatment,” Ackley said. “With some, it’s just a need for life-maintenance.”
Johnnie Walker of CVAC said Ackley came to them and offered his help setting up a program.
“He wanted to be involved with talking to veterans and he is giving us recommendations,” Walker said. “He is a blessing.”
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or call 609-886-8600 x-128.
