Therapy for Veterans in San Antonio, TX
Do You Want Help Processing Your Experiences In The Military?
Are you an active-duty military member or veteran who’s looking to improve your quality of life and develop healthier coping strategies? Do you want help:
- Adjusting to deployment or job transference?
- Maintaining positive relationships while separated from loved ones?
- Managing PTSD symptoms from your time in service?
Maybe you experienced things in the military that you’re not comfortable talking about in everyday life—both because of your security clearance and because of the weighty subject matter. Perhaps there are painful memories that keep you awake at night and make you feel vulnerable and alert, even if you’re out of the military and your safety is no longer in danger.
On the other hand, maybe you’re an active-duty member who simply wants help dealing with the highly unpredictable nature of your work. You want to be able to manage your stress as you navigate one life transition after another and build resilience during times of change.
If You’re A Military Spouse, Life Can Be Equally Challenging For You
When you’re married to or in a relationship with an active (or inactive) duty spouse, finding stability and community is hard to come by. Because of your significant other’s job, you may have to constantly relocate and upend your life. As a result, it’s challenging to stay connected with friends and maintain meaningful relationships. Just as you get settled in one spot, life forces you to throw away all sense of comfort and fall back into the unknown.
Additionally, the private nature of your spouse’s work can lead to difficulties in your marriage or relationship. You know there are certain things your spouse can’t share because of security clearances and classified information, but you still feel like it’s created a barrier between the two of you.
Whether you’re a military spouse or part of the military yourself, we’re confident that we can help. At Monarch Behavioral Health, we specialize in providing therapy for active/inactive duty military and their loved ones. Our goal is to help you process your unique experiences, develop more effective coping skills, and restore a greater sense of stability and purpose in your life.
Mental Health Challenges Are Rampant In The Military
From constant exposure to violence to deployment-related stress, it’s no secret that people in the military face a whole range of challenges that ordinary civilians don’t. Oftentimes, these challenges become even more apparent once they’re out of the service. The loss of military community can deeply affect veterans, creating a void of loneliness that makes transitioning back to civilian life hard.
On top of that, many veterans struggle to find new employment opportunities, and there are numerous barriers to accessing care once you’re out of the military. As a result, veterans often struggle with mental health issues in silence. Approximately seven percent of veterans suffer from PTSD, and for those who saw actual combat, the numbers are much, much higher.
Military Culture Doesn’t Exactly Encourage Vulnerability
Veterans and active-duty military don’t struggle with mental health issues because of a lack of resilience. Rather, the nature of trauma, significant life transitions, and military culture itself all make it difficult to work through emotional challenges alone. Within the military, there’s often a culture of toughness and a disdain for vulnerability—you’re supposed to be strong and quickly move on from difficult (sometimes even horrifying) experiences.
Unfortunately, this just isn’t realistic. Trauma, PTSD, and other mental health disorders don’t pick and choose—they can afflict anyone, no matter how strong or resilient. That’s why getting help is so essential. Therapy provides a safe, confidential space where veterans can address the underlying causes of their distress and work toward long-term recovery and healing.
Therapy Is A Chance For Veterans To Build More Meaningful Lives
At Monarch Behavioral Health, our goal is not just to help you achieve symptom relief. We want you to experience lasting change—to feel emotionally healthier, regain confidence, strengthen your relationships, and build a meaningful life that aligns with your values. This way, you can reclaim the life you had before your struggles and move forward with a deeper sense of purpose.
Our practice is proud to offer counseling for a wide range of populations associated with military life, including active-duty soldiers, retired veterans, and military spouses and families. We’re here to accommodate you in whatever way we can, and that means tailoring therapy to suit your needs and goals.
What’s more, all of our sessions are confidential, ensuring that you don’t have to worry about therapy affecting any security clearances. We value safety, privacy, and a nonjudgmental atmosphere for all of our clients.
What To Expect In Therapy For Veterans And Active Duty Military
Early on in therapy, we will help you understand what you’re experiencing, why your symptoms developed, and how those symptoms are affecting different areas of your life. This psychoeducation can go a long way toward helping you relieve feelings of shame and inadequacy. We’ll help you recognize that your responses are not personal failings, but understandable adaptations to difficult life experiences.
Once this sense of awareness is in place, we can turn our attention to deeper healing and self-empowerment. Our therapists integrate a wide range of evidence-based approaches with practical coping skills that you can begin using immediately. Some of these approaches include:
Ultimately, we will tailor your treatment plan based on your goals, symptoms, strengths, and stage of recovery, taking every area of your life into account during our work together. Through this comprehensive approach, we believe that we can help you lower your distress, reduce shame and self-blame, and enjoy more fulfilling relationships.
Who We Help
Our licensed therapists provide anxiety treatment for:
- Adults navigating work stress, life transitions, or health concerns
- Teens experiencing social anxiety, academic pressure, or performance anxiety
- Children struggling with fears, separation anxiety, or school avoidance
- Parents facing burnout, worry, and identity changes
- Individuals with co-occurring depression or trauma
Real Support, Specialized Experience
The therapists below are experienced in this specialty. Compare approaches and book your first session.
Robert Brewer, MSW, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Amanda Hood, M.A., LPC-Supervisor
Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor, Clinical Manager
Lexi Le Blanc, M.A., M.S., ATR-P, LPC
Provisional Registered Art Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor
Brittany Sanchez, M.A., LPC-Associate
Licensed Professional Counselor Associate
Shannon Holliday, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
Avery McGoldrick, M.A., LPC-Associate
Licensed Professional Counselor Associate
Jessica Rodriguez, M.A., LPC-Associate
Licensed Professional Counselor Associate
Tori Metcalf, M.S. LPC-Associate
Licensed Professional Counselor Associate
Jordan Hawkins, B.A., Intern Counselor
Intern Counselor
Ashley Jesse, MA, LPC-S
Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor
Gino Garza, M.S., Doctoral Practicum Student
Doctoral Practicum Student
You May Have Some Questions About Therapy For Veterans...
No, you won’t. Effective trauma-informed therapy moves at your pace. While our approach is nonjudgmental and you are more than welcome to share whatever is on your chest, there’s also no pressure to share something you’re not ready to. In the beginning, we’ll focus on building trust and establishing a sense of safety so that we can explore difficult experiences at a pace that’s right for you.
Therapy will not affect your employment, security clearance, or VA benefits. All sessions are confidential, ensuring that you don’t have to worry about employers and colleagues finding out about your time here. In the beginning of therapy, we’ll answer any questions you have about privacy so that you can understand how we’ll protect your information.
The military highly values mission readiness, which requires a great deal of self-reliance and independent work ethic. These are great qualities to have, but when it comes to mental health, they often hold veterans back from getting the care they need. To many, asking for help means they’ve failed or are somehow “broken,” but this could not be further from the truth. Seeking therapy is no different than seeking medical care for a wound or an injury—it’s an essential step toward improving your health and overall functioning.
You’re Not Alone, And You Don’t Have To Wrestle With Your Challenges Alone
Monarch Behavioral Health is here to support veterans and military individuals/families/spouses who are looking for compassionate, evidence-based counseling. To learn more about how we can help, we encourage you to connect with one of our therapists. We look forward to working with you!
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