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Cognitive Edge Counseling

Moral Injury Care in Mid-Michigan

Moral Injury Therapy for Veterans & First Responders

When what happened went against everything you believe is right, the wound isn't just fear — it's your conscience. Private, judgment-free counseling in Alma, Michigan.

Moral injury is not the same as PTSD

PTSD is rooted in fear and danger. Moral injury is rooted in guilt, shame, and betrayal — and it needs its own kind of care.

Moral injury is what can happen when you do, witness, or fail to stop something that violates your deepest sense of right and wrong. It shows up after the deployment, the call, or the order that still doesn't sit right — the thing you'd never say out loud because you're afraid of what people would think.

It's the veteran who followed orders and can't forgive himself. The medic who couldn't save everyone. The officer who made a split-second call. The service member who was let down by leadership that should have had their back. You can be physically safe and still carry a wound to your conscience.

What moral injury can look like

Guilt & shame

A heavy, private sense that you did something unforgivable — or failed to do enough.

Loss of trust

Feeling betrayed by leaders, institutions, or a system that asked too much and gave too little.

Withdrawal

Pulling away from faith, family, and people who "wouldn't understand."

Self-condemnation

Believing you're a bad person, beyond redemption, or don't deserve good things.

How Dan helps

Dan Klaasse, M.S., LLPC, offers a private, straightforward space to say the things you've never told anyone — without being judged, rushed, or handed easy answers. Moral injury heals through honesty, meaning, and self-compassion, not through pretending it didn't happen.

  • A confidential place to name what actually happened
  • Work that separates the event from your worth as a person
  • Room for your values, faith, and identity — not against them
  • Trauma-informed care when moral injury and
    PTSD
    overlap

Who this is for

Moral injury is common in the people who carry the most responsibility for others:

Veterans & Military Retirees

Combat decisions, orders, and losses that still weigh on your conscience.

Law Enforcement

Split-second decisions judged for years afterward.

Firefighters & EMS

The calls where doing everything right still wasn't enough.

Common questions

How is this different from PTSD treatment?

PTSD care focuses on fear, danger, and the nervous system. Moral injury care focuses on guilt, shame, betrayal, and meaning. They often occur together, and Dan can address both. Learn more about trauma & post-traumatic stress.

Do I have to share every detail?

No. You set the pace. This is your space, and nothing is forced. Trust is built one session at a time.

Is this a faith-based approach?

Dan meets you where you are. Your faith and values are welcome in the room if they matter to you — and respected if you'd rather keep the work secular.

Do you take insurance?

Cognitive Edge Counseling is private-pay first, which keeps your care confidential and flexible. Insurance is accepted but not required — call and we'll walk you through your options.

Some wounds aren't about fear. They're about conscience.

Call for a free, confidential consultation. No commitment required.

(989) 506-1172 Call to Schedule

Serving Alma and mid-Michigan — including Gratiot, Isabella, Midland, Saginaw, and Clare counties, plus Mount Pleasant, St. Louis, and Ithaca. In-person and telehealth counseling available.

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Cognitive Edge Counseling provides private, straightforward counseling from an office in Alma, Michigan. Reach out to ask questions, discuss what you are experiencing, and learn more about possible next steps.

Location

524 Liberty Street, Alma, MI 48801

Call Us:

+1 (989) 506-1172

Monday - Friday

By appointment