When Tia Porterfield, EdD, NCC, BExSc, MFLC, LCMHC, was a child, her father was an 82nd Airborne paratrooper and Army recruiter stationed in Fayetteville, North Carolina, at what is now known as Fort Liberty (previously known as Fort Bragg). Naturally, she became well-versed in the unique challenges that accompany military life and culture, and today her passion is counseling service members, veterans, and their families.
“Overall, I believe my upbringing as a former military child and living in a town with a deeply rooted military connection has brought me to my divine purpose to support the community that I currently serve,” Dr. Porterfield says.
“Fort Liberty is one of the largest military installations in the United States, and I have serviced children and youth that have been as young as 3 years old all the way up to active-duty soldiers, wounded warriors, military spouses, and veterans.”
Military life involves a lot of transitions and adjustments that can be difficult, she says.
“For instance, some military families often must adjust to their new living arrangements when a member of their family must leave for a deployment. Other military families may have to prepare for multiple moves across different geographical locations throughout the year, while other military families may have to learn how to navigate a new way of living when a service member becomes injured, or a final decision has been made to transition out of military service altogether.
When soldiers are deployed, their absence is felt by their families and their well-being is often impacted, Dr. Porterfield says.
“Struggles with routines in the home, school, and work environment may be evident in the individual family members’ behaviors. Once the service member returns from their deployment mission, the family as a unit will experience the reunification phase and will have to learn how to adjust to their new routines, which too can be a struggle for some families.”
Food insecurity and financial matters present other challenges for some, she says.
“It is not as widely discussed in regard to the military community, but the need within the military community is very much prevalent. When families are in financial situations that stem from unforeseen circumstances, then there may be significant issues with being able to make ends meet and provide necessities within the home. Service members then may struggle with being able to provide meals for their growing families as a result.”
Moving to other cities, states, and countries is a common part of soldiers’ careers that can be a difficult transition.
“Another big challenge military families may be presented with is the predicament of needing to move as a result of receiving military orders to relocate, or PCS (permanent change of station),” Dr. Porterfield says. “Some military families struggle with being able to transition and deal with the unpredictable changes that come along with their move. The constant change of having to move away and start over in a new area can be taxing. The thought of leaving other extended family and/or close friends behind at their previous duty station can cause a range of emotions such as sadness, worry, and frustration for all involved. The overwhelming stress of researching the new area and planning how to execute the move is also burdensome.”
Uprooting from what’s familiar and starting life in a new place can have substantial effects on the mental health of service members and their families, Dr. Porterfield says.
“In my experience when working with many military-connected spouses and their children, I have identified how dealing with deployment and relocating has greatly impacted their social-emotional well-being. Many spouses have detailed significant increases in crying spells, rising stress levels, and other emotional experiences related to anxiety as well as depression. Spouses have noted concerns in their children’s well-being to cope in their environments (i.e., school and home) along with observing rapid changes in their behavior (e.g., constant mood changes with little to no triggers involved, increased crying spells, outward displays of sadness, anger/frustration, and experiences of isolation/loneliness). Children and youth have also presented major fears and concerns of family service members possibly being deployed to areas that are in direct contact of combat.”
Because individuals who grew up as part of military families tend to have a better cognizance of the lifestyle and culture, they often adapt more easily than those for whom the military is a new experience.
“Over the years, I have observed that there are significant differences among families of those who grew up with family members in the military as opposed to families that are new to military life in general because some of those individuals tend to have a deeper understanding of the unique experiences rooted in military culture,” she says. “It appears that it is easier to cope with the life changes the culture brings because those individuals have developed the ability to become resilient and are quick to adapt to situations that they may come across over their lifetime. One positive note is that family members and friends inside of the culture bring many unique ways to connect with new and old members living through similar experiences. Nevertheless, the fear and worry of those affected is still very prevalent.”
The stigma associated with seeking mental health care is seen frequently within military populations, but counselors are poised to help alleviate it, Dr. Porterfield says.
“We can do so by being transparent and realistic about what is to be expected. It is important to address the stigmatizing statements that are skewing their client’s ability to understand the advantages of the treatment. It is the duty of the mental health professional to provide psychoeducation to their clients when deemed necessary. It provides evidence-based information that explains more of the true benefits of the service their clients would be experiencing. Ultimately, the goal would be for the individual to gain a new perspective of mental health care that is not associated with that stigma.”
Continuing education and cultural awareness are essential to counselors working with these clients.
“In addition to building knowledge, future professionals should most importantly engage in active listening, along with being authentic in their sessions when speaking with service members and their families. Actively listening to these clients shows that the therapist is invested in the treatment, and authenticity supports rapport development, which encourages real connections with the population that he or she serves.”
Dr. Porterfield recommends the following resources for students or counselors interested in working with service members, veterans, and their families:
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Military OneSource provides around-the-clock access to current and trusted military specific materials and it is also funded by the Department of Defense.
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Southern Regional AHEC Continuing Education Part of NC AHEC is a regional network that provides several amazing resources throughout the year to support professionals’ efforts to access current and innovative continuing education resources. Often, they will advertise conferences and training events that are specific to supporting the needs of the military community.
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The American Counseling Association provides an extensive database of continuing education materials that consist of great quality books and courses to help support mental health professionals to gain competence in their ability to service military members and their families.
Tia Porterfield, EdD, NCC, BExSc, MFLC, LCMHC, received a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Methodist University, a master’s degree in psychology from Fayetteville State University, and a doctorate in education in community care and counseling with a focus on traumatology from Liberty University. She has worked extensively in the mental health field and the sports medicine/fitness industry and is a member of the American Counseling Association.
