Healing trauma through Shakespeare and science.
DE-CRUIT® is an evidence-based program designed to support military veterans, trauma survivors, and marginalized communities in healing the invisible wounds of war, violence, and adverse life experiences. Founded by veteran, actor, and licensed clinical social worker Stephan Wolfert, DE-CRUIT® integrates classical theater, neuroscience, and trauma-informed care to address the psychological and physiological impacts of trauma.
Why Shakespeare?
The simple answer is breath, rhythm, community and language. Shakespeare wrote extensively about war, grief, betrayal, power, and the human condition. His texts offer a mirror to trauma and a language to process it. Through structured exploration of Shakespeare’s verse —combined with narrative writing, group connection, and embodied practices—participants begin to re-author their stories and reclaim agency over their lives.
Our Mission
DE-CRUIT® exists to make trauma healing more accessible, creative, and community-driven. Our mission is to deliver culturally responsive, arts-based mental health support that is research-backed, relational, and rooted in the belief that healing is possible for all.
Who We Serve
- Military Veterans and their families
- Adult survivors of childhood trauma (ACEs)
- Incarcerated individuals and returning citizens
- Mental health professionals and educators
- Artists, actors, and creative practitioners
- Communities impacted by systemic trauma
Our Approach
Participants in DE-CRUIT® programs engage in:
- Classical text exploration (primarily Shakespeare)
- Narrative writing and storytelling
- Embodied exercises to regulate the nervous system
- Peer connection and group dialogue
- Trauma-informed, anti-oppressive facilitation
- Clinical frameworks grounded in neuroscience
DE-CRUIT® is continually evaluated through self-report, EEG, and heart rate variability studies, with over 20 peer-reviewed articles and 8 books documenting its impact.
What We Offer
- In-person and virtual courses and workshops
- Clinical training and CE for therapists and counselors
- Keynotes and performances (including the acclaimed solo show Cry Havoc!)
- Research collaboration with academic and clinical institutions
- On-demand courses coming soon in partnership with Collectively Rooted
Our Values
- Storytelling is medicine
- Healing is communal
- The body keeps the score—and can write a new one
- The arts are essential to recovery, not ancillary
Awards
2020 Winner of the Aaron Stein Award presented by The American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA). The Aaron Stein Award is given annually to organizations that utilize the creative applications of group therapy and techniques to benefit the community, particularly in non-pyschotherapeutic settings.
Contact Us
dawn@decruit.org
www.decruit.org
Let’s partner, collaborate, or bring a DE-CRUIT course to your community.
In addition, see here an extensive article on DE-CRUIT, here an in-depth interview with Stephan, and here further media on DE-CRUIT.
See here additional articles, interviews and news clips on DE-CRUIT, and see here testimonials of veterans who have taken part in DE-CRUIT.