Active Duty Military Members Eligible for Non-Medical Counseling Through Military One Source

The past few years have been pretty stressful for me. In 2020, when the pandemic began, my husband and I were not doing well. On top of that, my role at my current duty station had changed significantly due to a reorganization. With the quarantine and new restrictions, it was difficult to find my new groove at work. My husband and I decided to separate later that year and I was at a pretty low point. Both my home life and work environment had changed drastically and it felt like I was drowning under the stress. I am currently Active Duty and at that time I was unable to get an appointment with our local base mental health facility any time soon.

A friend of mine recommended Military One Source’s non-medical counseling as another option. I had never heard of them before but she had used their counseling option and highly recommended it for my situation. I called their hotline that evening and explained my situation. The counselor I spoke to listened intently and asked me some very specific questions about my needs and availability in order to determine if I was eligible for their non-medical counseling services. They determined that I was and immediately helped me find a counselor in my area to work with. I chose a female counselor who had availability to take me on as a new client and accepted Military One Source referrals. My counselor was a blessing. She was located 10 minutes from my home and office, was flexible with my schedule, and very helpful. We met every 2 weeks, for 12 sessions. Under the Military One Source program you can receive up to 12 free counseling sessions per year. During our 12 sessions, I was able to establish goals and work towards those goals, which included stress and time management as well as life adjustment strategies. It was also just nice to have a neutral party offer their ear and support to help me realize that my situation is not uncommon and sometimes part of life. She gave me tools to use during and after our sessions ended.

I am currently transitioning out of the military with a retirement date of August 1, 2022. While this is truly an exciting time in my life, it is also a bit stressful since I have been in the military since 1 month after high school (24 years). It is all I’ve ever known as a career. I’m happy to know that Military One Source’s non-medical counseling is available to me for another 12 free sessions this year and for 1 year after I retire. I have not reached out yet because I am feeling pretty good about this process so far and managing my stress, but knowing counseling is available and I can even return to my previous counselor is a huge relief.

I am grateful that my co-worker shared this incredible resource when I needed it and am hoping others who qualify are aware and use it when they need it as well. I have also used their free tax services this year and am impressed with the breadth of resources they offer our community. You can check out Military One Source by going to their website: https://www.militaryonesource.mil/ or by calling them 24/7 at [login to see] .