Counseling Military, Veterans, and Their Families

Counseling Military, Veterans, and Their Families

Advanced Clinical Skills for Mental Health Professionals (Awards 10.0 CE hours)

Ready to make a meaningful impact in the lives of those who’ve served? Looking to expand your reach as a behavioral health clinician?

Enroll now and gain the insight, understanding, and therapeutic tools needed to support military personnel, veterans, and their families with confidence and compassion. Your expertise can be the bridge between struggle and healing—start your journey today.
Enroll Now for $99 Easy-Pay Enrollment
Counseling Military, Veterans, and Their Families

Counseling Military, Veterans, and Their Families

Advanced Clinical Skills for Mental Health Professionals (Awards 10.0 CE hours)

Ready to make a meaningful impact in the lives of those who’ve served? Looking to expand your reach as a behavioral health clinician?

Enroll now and gain the insight, understanding, and therapeutic tools needed to support military personnel, veterans, and their families with confidence and compassion. Your expertise can be the bridge between struggle and healing—start your journey today.
Enroll Now for $99 Easy-Pay Enrollment

Advanced Clinical Skills for Working with Military, Veterans, and their Families

Serving Those Who Served.

Military service leaves a lasting imprint—not just on those who serve, but on the families who stand beside them. For clinicians, understanding the depth of these experiences is more than professional—it’s essential. This is a transformative continuing education course designed to empower mental health professionals with the cultural insight, clinical strategies, and therapeutic tools needed to support military personnel, veterans, and their families with compassion and competence.

🎯 Why This Course Matters

From combat trauma to reintegration challenges, military-affiliated clients face unique psychological and systemic hurdles. This course bridges the gap between clinical expertise and cultural understanding, helping providers deliver care that truly resonates.

📘 What You'll Learn

Participants will gain the ability to:

  • Decode the core values and cultural nuances of military life—and how they shape mental health and treatment engagement.
  • Recognize and respond to common clinical concerns such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders.
  • Apply evidence-based interventions tailored to veteran populations.
  • Navigate barriers to care including stigma, access limitations, and institutional mistrust.
  • Use family therapy techniques to support reintegration and relational healing.
  • Connect clients with current resources and support systems for active duty and veteran communities.
  • Uphold ethical standards and clinical boundaries when working within military contexts.

💡 Who Should Enroll

Whether you're a seasoned therapist or expanding your scope of practice, this course delivers the essential knowledge and skills to serve those who’ve served—closing the gap between need and access in military mental health care.

Ready to make a difference? Enroll today and become a trusted ally in the healing journey of our nation’s heroes.

Meet Your Instructor:
Kortney Yasenka, LCMHC


  Kortney Yasenka is dedicated to helping clinicians deepen their understanding of military culture and strengthen their skills in evidence-based, compassionate care. Join her in this continuing education course to enhance your clinical practice and make a lasting impact on those who’ve served and the loved ones who stand beside them.


Course Abstract

Counseling Military, Veterans, and Their Families is a specialized continuing education course designed for behavioral and mental health professionals seeking to deepen their understanding and clinical effectiveness with military-affiliated populations. The course explores the psychological, cultural, and systemic complexities faced by service members, veterans, and their families. Through evidence-based strategies, cultural competency training, and therapeutic approaches tailored to military life and reintegration challenges, participants will gain the tools necessary to provide compassionate, informed, and effective care across diverse clinical settings.


Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Describe core elements of military culture and their impact on mental health and treatment engagement.
  • Identify prevalent mental health issues among veterans, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders.
  • Apply evidence-based interventions and treatment planning strategies tailored to military and veteran populations.
  • Recognize and address barriers to care such as stigma, access limitations, and mistrust in healthcare systems.
  • Utilize family therapy approaches to support reintegration and address relational dynamics affected by military service.
  • Navigate available resources and support systems for active duty service members, veterans, and their families.
  • Integrate ethical considerations and maintain professional boundaries when working with military-affiliated clients.


Competency Areas

  • Cultural Competency in Military Mental Health
  • Trauma-Informed Care
  • Evidence-Based Treatment Planning
  • Family Systems and Relational Therapy
  • Ethical and Professional Practice
  • Systems Navigation and Resource Coordination
  • Clinical Engagement and Communication Skills


Keywords

Military culture, veterans, PTSD, reintegration, family therapy, trauma, substance use, mental health, clinical skills, cultural competency, behavioral health, stigma, evidence-based practice, veteran services, therapeutic engagement


Target Audience

  • Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC, LCMHC)
  • Clinical Social Workers (LCSW)
  • Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT)
  • Psychologists
  • Substance Use Counselors
  • Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners
  • Case Managers and Care Coordinators
  • Behavioral Health Administrators
  • Graduate Students in Mental Health Fields
  • Professionals working in VA hospitals, military installations, or veteran support organizations

Approval Statements

American Psychological Association
The Hatherleigh Company, Ltd. is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Hatherleigh Company, Ltd.  maintains responsibility for the program and its content.

National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. 
The Hatherleigh Company, Ltd. is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved CE credit hours for programs that meet NBCC requirements. Programs for which NBCC-approved CE credit hours will be awarded are identified on the Website. The ACEP is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. Our NBCC provider number is #5448.

National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) 
The Hatherleigh Company, Ltd., is approved by the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) . Our NAADAC provider number is #62695.

Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services
The Hatherleigh Company is approved by the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services for New York State which covers Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselors (CASAC); Credentialed Prevention Professionals (CPP); and Credentialed Prevention Specialists (CPS). Our OASAS provider number is 0011.

New York State Board of Psychology
This organization is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0304.


Course curriculum

    1. Introduction

    1. Video

    2. Overview

    3. The Branches of Uniformed Military Service & The Distinctions Between Active Duty, Reserves, National Guard, and Veteran Status

    4. The United States Air Force (USAF)

    5. The United States Army (ARMY)

    6. The United States Coast Guard (USCG)

    7. The United States Marine Corps (USMC)

    8. The United States Navy (USN)

    9. The United States Space Force (USSF)

    10. The Core Values and Ethos That Guide Every Service Member

    11. Branch Organization, Rank Structure, and Saluting in the Military: A Sign of Respect, Discipline, and Duty

    12. A Deeper Understanding of Deployment Cycles, Reintegration, and the Challenges of Transition

    13. Lesson 1 Quiz

    1. Video

    2. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

    3. Survivor’s Guilt

    4. Traumatic Brain Injuries

    5. Anxiety

    6. Depression

    7. Moral Injury

    8. Chronic Pain

    9. Substance Use Disorders

    10. Suicide Risk

    11. Summary

    12. Lesson 2 Quiz

    1. Video

    2. On the Front Lines: A Candid Perspective (Part 2)

    3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

    4. Cognitive Processing Therapy

    5. Prolonged Exposure

    6. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

    7. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

    8. Written Exposure Therapy

    9. Suicide Prevention and Safety Planning

    10. Peer Support

    11. Complementary and Integrative Health

    12. Conclusion

    13. Lesson 3 Quiz

    1. Video

    2. Military-Specific Screening Tools

    3. Kessler Psychological Distress Scale

    4. Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test

    5. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist

    6. Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale

    7. Behavioral Health Pulse Survey

    8. The Patient Health Questionnaire

    9. The Boston Assessment of Traumatic Brain Injury-Lifetime

    10. Treatment Planning

    11. Building Rapport

    12. Telehealth

    13. Example Treatment Plans

    14. Conclusion

    15. Lesson 4 Quiz

    1. Video

    2. Military Families and Treatment

    3. Understanding Military Family Culture

    4. Common Challenges for Military Families

    5. Mental Health Stigma and Barriers to Care

    6. Developmental and Relational Impacts on Military Children

    7. Best Practices for Behavioral Health Professionals

    8. Military and Community Resources for Families

    9. Addressing Challenges in Access and Engagement

    10. Conclusion

    11. Lesson 5 Quiz

About this course

  • $99.00
  • 77 lessons
  • 1 hour of video content