Tailor-Made: How Veterans Find Mental Health Care That Fits
4 minute read
Tailor-Made: How Veterans Find Mental Health Care That Fits
4 minute read
You took the first step for your mental health by seeking care. But what do you do if your first counselor or therapist isn’t a good fit for you? What happens if you try a particular type of therapy and you don’t like it or find it effective?
As Veterans like Jo, Tia, Mike, and John discovered, advocating for your preferences and needs is an important part of the mental health care journey. Don’t hesitate to speak up for yourself, no matter where you seek your care. At VA, patient-centered care means you’re encouraged to take an active role in your treatment planning and healing.
Jo: Asking for women therapists
Jo, an Air Force Veteran who served for 26 years, used to view VA as intimidating. For a decade, that feeling kept her away from VA and mental health treatment for symptoms such as hypervigilance. But when she finally enrolled and sought mental health treatment, she put her hesitancy aside and advocated for what would make her most comfortable.
“I requested to see female providers, and that really helped for me to continue my visits,” Jo says. “I also got into a female Veteran group,” she adds. “We had similar interests and similar experiences.” Even though members of the group had served in different eras and branches, they found common bonds and learned from each other.
“I learned early on that to receive the medical care you want and deserve, you have to be your own best advocate,” Jo says. “And that doesn’t mean always complain. That means, just ask for what you want. And if you don’t get it the first time, just ask again.”
Tia: Exploring different therapies
Tia experienced anxiety, hypervigilance, and recurring nightmares after her service in the Army. She initially tried a VA women’s clinic for her mental health care. But when she didn’t get the results she wanted there, she tried a VA Vet Center.
At the Vet Center, Tia felt a strong connection and level of comfort because so many of the counselors were Veterans. “They’ve all been through it. And it felt like talking to a friend,” Tia says.
Through VA and the VA Vet Center, Tia got talk therapy that helped her manage her conditions and symptoms. She also found a new passion as a race car driver, which she uses to promote mental health care for other Veterans.
Reflecting on how far she has come in her mental health journey, she says, “Going from being where I was to where I’m at is a journey I never pictured for myself.”
Mike: Looking for the best fit
Before he started mental health care, Mike didn’t know what he could do to get better. As he tried to cope with symptoms he didn’t understand, he says, “I didn’t know what to do for myself.”
Seeking answers, the Army Veteran made mental health appointments. He received a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. The next step was to find the therapies that would work for him.
Talk therapy helps a lot of Veterans, but it wasn’t a good fit for Mike. “I didn’t like it. I was supposed to go into this place and talk to this strange person and tell them my deepest, darkest things,” he explains.
He tried other therapies too, but he found the best fit when he discovered art therapy.
“People think that it’s painting your feelings and playing with arts and crafts, but it’s deeper than that,” he says. “You’re addressing pain and trauma. The therapists—they’re not just the arts and craft supervisors—they’re behavioral health professionals trained to see and read what you put on the canvas.”
“In art therapy, I didn’t have to talk,” he adds. “If something was bothering me, I just had to figure out how to say it in paint.”
John: Finding the right therapist
“You might not get the best therapist on the first time,” says John, a Marine Corps Veteran. “Try it, and if you don’t like it, try it again. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater just because you have a bad experience.”
“You might find someone you absolutely love and can help you,” he adds. “It just takes some time.”
John’s own experience shows the importance of not giving up.
Before he sought help, he had been having suicidal thoughts. Without treatment, he says, he might not be alive today—and he would have missed out on so much.
“I wouldn’t have remarried,” he notes. “I wouldn’t have younger children. I wouldn’t get to experience all the amazing things that I have been able to experience with them.”
