Coming home is often harder than deployment, and there's a way through it that doesn't require you to explain your service to someone who's never lived it.

Why does coming home feel harder than the deployment itself?

You dedicated your life to protecting people, and if this were a movie, the credits would roll on your “happily ever after” moment. But life doesn't end there. Civilians don't get the jokes that made you part of a team. They don't understand what you've been through, even if they want to. Friends and family may want you to talk, but you don't want to put that on them, or you assume they'd judge you, or they just wouldn't get it. After 7 years in Iraq and Afghanistan, I understand why coming home is the hardest part.

What does it look like when someone needs support after service?

• You feel disconnected from your life

• You're bored

• You're lonely, you went from a tight community to feeling like it's hard to connect

• Anger takes up a lot of your day, even little things are hard to calm down from

• You're avoiding things you used to enjoy because they remind you of painful things

Are the things that kept me alive over there now “symptoms”?

Yes, and I respect that. Those very skills kept you alive, and with some adjustment, they can serve you in civilian life too. We can work on reconnecting you with the parts of your life that existed before the military, you weren't born in uniform, and you can reconnect to who you were outside of it.

What if therapy didn't work for me before?

You're no stranger to hard work, and therapy can be hard work too. I'm here for that, to walk you through the tough stuff while giving you options for building a life outside of therapy. What happens outside the office after a session matters just as much as what happens during it.

Will this show up on my records and affect my career?

If that's a concern, ask about a self-pay option, so your insurance company can't request your records at all.

FAQ

Do I have to be currently serving, or does this work for veterans too? This is specifically built for veterans and prior service members working through the transition home.

What if I already tried therapy and it didn't help? Common, and worth trying a provider who specializes in combat-specific trauma.

Will using insurance affect my clearance? Private pay avoids an insurance record entirely if that's a concern.

Can we work together if I'm not currently in Montana? Telehealth is available across Montana. Ask about options if you're located outside the state.