Born into a military family at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan, Teresa Wingate’s journey took her from the rural woodlands of Marion, Alabama, to the historic shores of Charleston, South Carolina. She went on to serve her country for more than two decades in the U.S. Army, working as a medical corpsman and medical inspector general. Teresa’s academic credentials span business administration, general counseling, and doctoral training as a public health researcher. As a retired professional from the Department of Veterans Affairs and a 100 percent disabled veteran of the Persian Gulf War era, she writes with raw honesty about her personal battles with PTSD and grief, charting a triumphant path from trauma to a life filled with love. When she isn't advocating for holistic health, Teresa dedicates her time to community leadership. Her active roles include the Evening Exchange Club of Charleston (Board of Directors, Child Abuse Prevention Coordinator), the Royal Missionary Baptist Church Deaf Ministry (Secretary), Elks Lodge 242, the DAV Chapter 17, and She’s the Veteran (an organization focused on improving PTSD for women veterans). Teresa is happily married to her childhood sweetheart, Leonard J. Wingate, and has two adult children and one grandson.