Everyone experiences stress from time to time, but military life can bring additional stressors with things like deployments and frequent moves. Who wouldn’t get a little bent out of shape over a box of broken dishes following a move? To face these challenges head on, you need to be both physically and emotionally healthy, and that means taking care of yourself. The Military and Family Life Counseling Program is here to help.
What is the Military and Family Life Counseling Program? Is it for you?
The Military and Family Life Counseling Program offers free short-term, non-medical counseling to:
- Active-duty service members
- National Guard members
- Reserve members (regardless of activation status)
- Department of Defense civilian expeditionary workforce members
- Immediate family members or surviving family members of any of the above
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Counselors understand what military life brings to the table. A typical counseling session could help you identify your feelings and a chance to talk through those thoughts. One-on-one, couple, or group – let a counselor help you manage:
- The first (or middle...or last) months of deployment
- Stress management
- Moving preparations and getting settled
- Relationship building
- A problem at work
- The grieving process following the death of a loved one or colleague
If you’re facing something that a counselor can’t address, you can receive a referral for medical counseling services in your community through a military treatment facility or TRICARE. In general, military and family life counselors do not address:
- Abuse cases
- Suicidal thoughts
- Other mental health issues that may require long-term attention or medication
Don’t stress, it’s confidential
You don’t have to worry that improving your emotional health will impact your service member’s career. Services offered through the Military and Family Life Counseling Program:
- Are confidential
- Do not impact a service member's security clearance
- Are not reported to the command
How to reach a military and family life counselor
When you are ready to focus on your emotional health, reach out for support. Contact your installation’s Military and Family Support Center.
You can also find support for the youngest member of your military family. Contact a child and youth behavioral military and family life counselor through:
- A child development center
- Your child's school
- Your child's military youth summer camp
- The commander or unit training point of contact
With your emotional health in tip-top shape, you can face those challenges military life throws your way head-on.