Opportunities for Counselors to Support Military-Connected Populations

Military life differs greatly from civilian life. The distinct military culture, language, rules, expectations, and sacrifice are incomprehensible to individuals with no experience with military-connected populations (i.e., active military, veterans, military families, personnel). For counselors interested in serving these populations, it is critical that they learn and understand their unique experiences and stressors. 

We recently spoke with Tim Spalla, MA, LPCC, a former Army Ranger who completed multiple combat deployments to Iraq, a past member of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), owner of Agile Wellness Group, and cofounder of the Wounded Healer Project. Spalla shares his expertise on the plethora of opportunities available for counselors to support military-connected populations and how to obtain the necessary competencies to do so. 

Foremost, Spalla emphasizes that counselors must have the appropriate training and credentials in their arsenal. 

“Obtaining specialized training and credentials is crucial, and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) should be a top priority, as it equips counselors with essential skills to address trauma-related challenges, including PTSD,” says Spalla. “Additionally, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy has proven highly effective in alleviating distress associated with traumatic memories.” 

While suicide prevention training is helpful toward all populations, Spalla urges counselors to prioritize it for military-connected populations given their heightened risk. Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and/or Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR), both offered through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website, are two trainings he recommends. Military sexual trauma (MST) and trauma-informed training is more unique to military populations and is therefore also conducive to successful counseling. 

With the aforementioned trainings, or others of equal efficacy, Spalla recommends several non-profits that actively welcome qualified, licensed, and culturally competent counselors into their referral networks. These organizations include The Headstrong Project, the Special Operations Forces (SOF) Network, Gallant Few, and the Moral Compass Federation. Of note, Spalla is proud to be the co-founder and executive director of the Wounded Healer Project. 

“The Wounded Healer Project empowers veteran mental health providers, as well as those in training, to support the unique mental health challenges faced by justice-involved veterans and their families,” says Spalla. 

One of the more challenging considerations in working with military-connected populations is learning to handle the impacts of moral injury. Moral injury can be associated with PTSD, but unlike the latter, it is not a recognized mental health disorder. In his counseling work and as a personal survivor of moral injury, Spalla finds that it requires a multifaceted approach. 

“It starts with understanding the intricacies of moral injury, its causes, manifestations, and the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual distress it can inflict on individuals,” says Spalla. 

Staying current with the latest research, sharing insights with colleagues and community partners, and understanding the therapeutic modalities to address moral injury are critical as well, according to Spalla. These modalities include adaptive disclosure (AD), narrative therapy, mindfulness-based interventions, psychodynamic therapy, and psychedelic-assisted therapy. Finally, prioritizing self-care to stay resilient and present in sessions is also pivotal.  

For counselors wishing to work with Veterans Affairs (VA)–enrolled clients in community or private settings, Spalla directs them to the VA Community Care website for training and credentialing requirements. Counselors need to ensure they possess the requisite knowledge to effectively support clients within the VA system. 

“Engaging in self-reflective practices to identify and address personal knowledge gaps and capability deficiencies is also crucial in effectively supporting clients enrolled in the VA,” says Spalla. 

School counselors have a unique opportunity to support military-connected students’ academic, career, and social development. According to the American School Counseling Association (ASCA), it is imperative for school counselors to understand how to recognize and mitigate the impact of the distinct challenges faced by military-connected students, such as relocations, deployments, and separation. 

“By creating peer support groups, teaching coping mechanisms and mindfulness techniques, and fostering resilience through social-emotional learning programs, school counselors can play an essential role in helping military-connected students feel safe, understood, and supported,” says Spalla. 

Ultimately, counseling military-connected populations comes down to steadfast dedication, compassion, and patience. 

“Throughout much of my time in the military and after, I struggled with PTSD, moral injury, addiction, and suicide ideation. I have now devoted myself to giving back and educating others, as I understand and deeply respect the diligent work of counselors serving military-connected populations,” concludes Spalla. 

Tim Spalla, MA, LPCC, graduated from the University of Northern Iowa. He enlisted in the military in 2005, where he served as an Army Ranger Intelligence Specialist before becoming a private military contractor providing Intelligence support for U.S. Special Operations missions throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. Spalla also attained a clinical mental health counseling degree from Regis University and completed a counseling internship with the Colorado Department of Corrections.  

Spalla discovered a pathway of healing and recovery in his struggles with PTSD, moral injury, addiction, and suicide ideation through natural medicines and psychedelic-assisted therapy. His research, fieldwork, and advocacy efforts since then about the benefits of natural medicines and psychedelics in treatment earned him recognition as a Pat Tillman Scholar. 

Today, Spalla is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Candidate; owner of Agile Wellness Group, a private therapy and wellness coaching practice; and a cofounder of the Wounded Healer Project, whose core mission is to provide pro bono mental health services in support of justice-involved veterans navigating drug and alcohol treatment courts within the Denver-metro area.