Where to Find Mental Health Support

By Beverly King LCMHCS (NC), LPC (VA), CCTP, Clinic Director at Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Hope For The Warriors

The month of May is both Military Appreciation Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. That they both fall in the same month may be coincidental, but it is a totally appropriate pairing.

To truly appreciate former and present members of our military, we need to understand the mental health challenges they face.

Recent statistics show that 30% of all personnel deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan have a mental health condition requiring treatment; 50% of returning veterans are in need of receiving mental health treatment; and in 2020 there was a 20% increase in military suicide.

Those are sobering statistics that should give everyone a stark appreciation of what our servicemen and women face.

There remains a mental health stigma among military members. For many, seeking mental health help is a sign of weakness.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Like any physical ailment, mental and emotional issues need treatment.

The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Hope For The Warriors, where I serve as a clinic director, treats post-9/11 veterans, including the National Guard and Reserves, regardless of discharge status, role while in uniform, or combat experience. We also treat active-duty service members with a TRICARE referral. 

We also serve the families of veterans, active-duty service members, National Guardsmen, and Reservists, including spouses or partners, children, parents, siblings, caregivers, and others.

There are a few steps you can take to assess your own mental health. Slow down and take the time to ask yourself these basic questions:

• How would I describe my mood overall?
• Has my mood changed at all over the last six months?
• Has my level of stress changed n the last six months to a year?
• Have I had thoughts of wanting to hurt myself, or wanting to go to sleep and not wake up?

Many people ask what leads to bad mental health. Things like not taking the time to recognize that you may be off, not feeling like you normally would, and not seeking out help when you are not feeling great contribute greatly. Other things can include surrounding yourself with people that make you feel bad, and enduring constant, highly-stressful situations, such as work or home life.

Mindfulness is a great tool to help improve mental health. Mindfulness is about being in the moment and experiencing the moment as it is. We live in such a fast-paced world that taking the time to slow down and be in the moment with yourself is so rare, but it’s so important to ensuring great mental health.

You can improve your mental health by creating a routine that includes quiet reflection time. You can do meditation, yoga, a workout, take a bath, or read. But make it part of your daily schedule!

But if that does not work, please seek help! When you come to a clinic like the Cohen Clinic at Hope For The Warriors, you can expect to be greeted and treated with dignity and respect. You can expect top-notch clinicians who are well-trained and only use therapies that are proven to provide relief. 

Cohen Clinics offer brief, evidence-based, client-centered therapy for a variety of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, adjustment issues, anger, grief and loss, family issues, transition challenges, relationship problems, and children’s behavioral problems. Services are available regardless of discharge status, role in uniform, combat experience, ability to pay, or insurance.

And if you think you need help, make the call today. There couldn’t be a better time than now.

If you’re in North Carolina and seeking help, visit the local Cohen Clinic for more information. If you’re outside of North Carolina check out our partners at the Cohen Veterans Network for a clinic nearest you.

Beverly King serves as the Clinic Director for the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Hope For The Warriors. In this role, she oversees all clinical, administrative and outreach operations.

Beverly holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology from Radford University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Appalachian State University.

As a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, she has more than 15 years of experience running mental health agencies in numerous settings with a diverse client base.

Prior to joining the Cohen Clinic at Hope For The Warriors, Beverly served as clinical director for a psychiatric hospital, as well as regional director for a community mental health agency. She spent more than 5 years working as a clinician with active-duty military members and their families at both Camp Lejeune and MCAS Cherry Point. Beverly is passionate about providing mental health care for those in need.

A native of North Carolina, Beverly moved to the eastern part of the state in 2007 to enjoy the laid-back beach lifestyle. In addition to spending time with her husband, daughter and her fur babies, Beverly loves boating, fishing and anything else you can do on the water.