Paula Howie worked at Walter Reed from 1977 to 2002 in the art therapy program, which included horticulture, recreation therapy, activities, and art therapy. Walter Reed was unusual in the level of resources it devoted to art therapy, and other types of therapy. “When I first started working here, nobody was talking about trauma. That was not something that people were talking about. And by the time I left, everybody was talking about the effects of trauma and what people have been through.” A team of professionals would create custom care plans for each patient. “It was just a fantastic way to work,” she said.
History Project, Paula Howie and Shirley Spory: Full-Length Interview