AMHERST — In honoring military veterans for their service, the emotional toll caused by war and the suffering and pain many bring home with them has to be recognized, according to a local transformational healer and holistic psychotherapist.

Speaking at a Veterans Day breakfast at the Bangs Community Center Tuesday morning, prior to an official ceremony on the North Common, Edward Tick offered each of the 11 veterans in attendance the opportunity to stand up and briefly talk about their service.

“Thank you and bless you all,” said Tick, after all had completed their remarks.

Tick, who was not drafted while growing up in the Vietnam era, said he has spent more than 50 years of his life focused on peace and healing veterans. As the keynote speaker, his presentation focused on how “words and names really matter,” reflecting on how what had once been Armistice Day has become Veterans Day, an occasion to salute veterans and not meditate on war.

Unfortunately, too many returning from combat are quickly isolated from civilians.

“We need to give as much attention and ritual ceremony in bringing them back from war as we do in sending them to war,” Tick said.

He also touched on how post-traumatic stress syndrome was not diagnosed with a name until 1980, even though it has been known about for millennia.

“It’s soul distress, and I also call it post-traumatic social disorder,” Tick said.

As he finished his remarks, Tick rang a bell 11 times, once for each veteran in the room.

Central Hampshire Veterans’ Services Agent Steve Connor said every day should be veterans day and that a new level of support is needed for veterans as new conditions continue to be discovered, like hypertension and medically unexplained chronic symptoms, and the prevalence of suicide among veterans.

In Amherst, veteran Eugene Herman has been organizing, with assistance from the Community Responders for Equity, Safety and Service, first and third Friday breakfasts at the Bangs. These originally started as a luncheon at the Unitarian Universalist Meetinghouse.

“It’s good to have communication between veterans and non-veterans,” Herman said.

Herman, who served in the Army from 1967 to 1970, said this has created meaningful personal development to express himself about something he’d otherwise conceal. “We all had the same story: don’t tell anyone about it,” Hermasn said.

The event began with George Ryan, vice president of the Town Council and son of a World War II veteran, expressing deep gratitude for those who have served. “When I come I think of him and his service,” Ryan said.

State Rep. Mindy Domb, D-Amherst, said veterans are a priority in her work in the Legislature, the efforts to make sure they have access to food and health care, as well as the advocacy leading to the new Veterans Home in Holyoke.

“I give you thanks and gratitude for your service,” Domb said,

Pete Rogers, who served for more than seven years in the Army, was among those at the breakfast.

“Anytime we can get together with the other veterans is very nice,” Rogers said.

Wearing a Soldier’s Heart shirt and the phrase “caring men sharing the burden,” which was an earlier initiative by Tick, Rogers said he appreciates Tick has helped him to process feelings.

“It’s really important for people with moral injury to get it out and share it with others,” Rogers said. “A lot of World War II veterans carried it to their grave.”

The day also included providing care packages to all veterans. Prepared with town support and volunteers with the Hampshire Educational Collaborative’s Key Club, those who came to the breakfast were handed the bags with information about help lines and services homemade cookies, socks, masks, pens and word puzzles, with some also having T-shirts.

While Robert Mitton isn’t a veteran himself, he comes to the breakfasts regularly, honoring a relative whose name is on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.

“I personally like it because I can talk about my family members and I learn a lot coming here about sacrifice,” Mitton said.

“I do get upset when they don’t show respect,” Mitton continued. “That gets me to sometimes because people need to learn to respect what they did.”

At the ceremony, Council President Lynn Griesemer read a proclamation from Gov. Maura Healey, and the Rev. Thomas Synan, minister at Grace Epsicopal Church, offered a prayer before the Grace bells tolled 11 times.

Connor concluded the event by again stating that every day should be veterans day, adding,

“Two little words mean a lot: thank you.”