Civil War Prisons and PTSD Topic of ESU Professor’s Presentation

Michael Gray

Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on February 18, 2026, No Comments

Civil War history will meet modern-day mental health practices during an interactive presentation co-led by East Stroudsburg University Professor of History Michael P. Gray, Ph.D., on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 2-3 p.m. at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, MD. The event can also be streamed live on the museum’s Facebook page.

Dr. Gray, an author and expert on Civil War-era prisons, will present “Civil War Prisons and Trauma: Andersonville, PTSD, EMDR, and Self Care,” with Stephanie A. Stathas, a licensed professional therapist with the Pennsylvania Counseling Cooperative.

The pair will incorporate their respective specialties to analyze how prisoners at Andersonville Prison, one of the most notorious lockups of that era, might have used their own self-care methods to cope with their captivity and perilous environment. Nearly 13,000 prisoners died at Andersonville in just 15 months of operation, Gray said.

To research the topic, Gray combed through primary sources like prison letters and diaries. Stathas then analyzed them through a contemporary therapy lens. The result is a then-and-now connection that Gray hopes will provide the audience with a unique perspective.

“We hope attendees learn the evolution of post-traumatic stress disorder from Andersonville but also bring awareness of how to cope with trauma in the present,” he said.

While the conversation will center around the Civil War, psychology and science will also play a key role, particularly the use of coping strategies like Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR). According to the American Psychological Association, EMDR is a type of therapy involving eye movements that helps your brain process traumatic memories so that they don’t feel as intense anymore.

Gray has even begun incorporating EMDR exercises into his classes by having students imagine they are practicing the therapy with Andersonville captives, those who faced the Salem Witch Trials and other traumatized historical figures.

“The students take a ‘time machine’ and role play in practicing EMDR with the traumatized patient,” he said.

East Stroudsburg University offers a bachelor of arts degree in history, with concentrations in American and world history, secondary education in social studies, and public history. The master’s degree can be completed as part of an Accelerated Pathway B.A./M.A. Program that would allow students to complete both programs in five years. Students can also pursue a history minor that they can pair with any major.

Learn more about the history program at ESU.

For additional details about the presentation, visit the National Museum of Civil War Medicine’s website.