About Michal Peretz
Social work, lived experience, and the questions that connect them.
I'm Michal Peretz, a U.S. Army veteran and social work student whose path into human services has been shaped by both professional experience and lived experience.
My background
From military technology to human services
Before studying social work, I served in the U.S. Army in information systems and worked in support of military healthcare. Since then, my experience has included supporting older veterans and individuals living with dementia, working with veterans experiencing homelessness, substance-use and mental-health challenges, and facilitating peer-support groups focused on domestic violence, narcissistic abuse, and codependency.
Those experiences drew me toward social work and toward a deeper interest in trauma-informed, culturally responsive practice.
Why I write about trauma
Lived experience matters, but it isn't a credential
My interest in trauma isn't purely academic. I've experienced abuse, family estrangement, and the loss of my son. Those experiences changed the way I understand grief, attachment, power, boundaries, and the complicated ways people adapt to painful environments.
I don't believe lived experience automatically makes someone an expert, nor do I present myself as a therapist. It does, however, influence the questions I ask and the subjects I choose to study.
What I write about
Learning, reflection, and practice
Much of my writing explores trauma-informed practice, relationships, interpersonal violence, aging, grief, recovery, culture, ethics, and social work. I occasionally write about Judaism and other subjects that have shaped how I think about meaning, responsibility, relationships, and community.
This website is where I bring those threads together: academic learning, professional development, lived experience, and reflection. My goal isn't to tell readers how to live their lives. It's to make difficult human experiences a little easier to examine, understand, and talk about.
Professional background
U.S. Army veteranSocial work studentVeteran services
Older-adult & memory-care experiencePeer-support group facilitation
Trauma-informed practiceCulturally responsive practice
A note about this site
The writing here is educational and reflective. It isn't psychotherapy, diagnosis, or a substitute for professional medical or mental-health care.
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