Being in rhythm with nature is often a life-changing experience for Veterans healing from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

VA Salisbury Health Care has partnered with Project Healing Waters (PHW) Fly Fishing, a national nonprofit, to give Veterans a no-cost way to connect with nature and each other through fly fishing. Veterans take part in classes, local and regional trips, and hands-on activities like fly-tying and rod-building.

Navy Veteran Rickie Woodson, 74, knows the healing power of this connection. “We don’t have to talk about what took place, but we can still relate and give each other support,” he said. “It’s changed my life with my family.”

Nature, camaraderie and community healing

The Whole Health team at VA Salisbury supports these efforts by partnering with PHW to offer classes and events in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, such as weekly fly-tying sessions and seasonal outings.

Dr. Christina Vair, VA Salisbury clinical director of Whole Health, notes that research confirms the health benefits of community and nature-based activities. “This idea of community represents that outer ring of the Whole Health circle,” she said.

Army Veteran James Smith, who served in Vietnam, has participated for over 15 years. “Before joining the group, I stayed home a lot,” he said. “The friendships and camaraderie have been priceless.”

The Winston-Salem PHW chapter now includes about 40 Veterans and 30 volunteers, with hopes to grow.

Air Force Veteran B.J. Farmer, who helped connect PHW with VA, sees it as a natural extension of care. “Sometimes with PTSD, [Veterans] need a way to escape. Nature calms you down, and the camaraderie helps in ways therapy alone can’t,” she explained.

Many VA medical centers nationwide now collaborate with PHW and other community organizations to support Veterans’ mental health through recreational therapies. Contact your local VA to explore Whole Health opportunities near you.

Topics in this story

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4 Comments

  1. Craig Limoges August 6, 2025 at 23:45

    There are many fly fishing clubs in many parts of the country that participate in Healing Waters. If you are interested, call a fly fishing shop and ask. If they don’t know how to contact a Healing Waters person, call another fly shop. You don’t have to have any experience whatsoever. They will take you from square one. If you’ve never fly-fished before, after a learning curve, you will probably find it to be a zen-like experience. You meld with the fly rod and line, and begin to learn about how fish love to eat bugs. (No bug eating on your part required) :-)

  2. Carlos Oyola Arroyo August 6, 2025 at 18:32

    Can’t get information from your office in Fredericksburg, VA. Sent email but no response and there is no phone number to call. Please assist…,

    • Dominique Ramirez August 7, 2025 at 10:22

      Carlos, there has been a decent amount of change in the Fredericksburg area over the years. There have been a few CBOCs in the area and some Veterans have had their appointments moved from one to the other. However, recently a new Fredericksburg VA Health Care Center has been opened. It’s called the Fredericksburg 3 VA Clinic, AKA the Fredericksburg VA Health Care Center. Here’s a link to the clinic’s webpage:

      https://www.va.gov/richmond-health-care/locations/fredericksburg-3-va-clinic/

      There’s a banner at the top of the page, and it lists some of the information about this clinic. I’ll paste the info from the banner below, but you should check out the clinic’s webpage for further information. I hope this helps!

      The Fredericksburg VA Health Care Center is now open to serve our area Veterans.
      It is located at 10432 Patriot Highway, Fredericksburg, VA 22408-2628.
      Main phone: 540-707-7074
      All three CBOC locations are now closed and the HCC is the primary care center in Fredericksburg.

  3. VINCENT D MANCUSI August 1, 2025 at 21:08

    Keep trying what good ideas

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