Bucks County Vet Center
Our 3 therapists are either licensed professional counselors or licensed clinical social workers. They have a combined total of over 50 years of experience in working with the Veteran population. We offer both individual and group counseling.
All individual counseling sessions use evidence-based therapies such as:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
In addition, we also provide group counseling. Some examples of groups we have had include:
- Guitar class
- T’ai Chi
- Era- and conflict-specific group counseling
We have 2 PTSD groups currently running: one for Vietnam Veterans, and the other for Veterans from all eras and conflicts. Additional groups will be added depending on expressed interest and appropriateness. All groups require counselor referral.
Whether you’re transitioning out of the military back to civilian life, returning from a deployment overseas back stateside, or anywhere in between, our counselors can help the transition go smoothly. In addition to direct counseling, we offer the following referral services:
Employment
- CareerLink (employment and testing service)
- Job leads direct from companies and other agencies
Housing
- VA HUD/VASH program
- Veterans Multi-Service Center (provides a variety of services, including temporary shelter)
- Salute 2 Service (local non-profit)
All of our counselors are licensed professional counselors and licensed clinical social workers. They’re trained in working with families and couples, using techniques such as:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Our counselors understand what families go through when their Veteran or service member loved one is struggling. We’re here for you.
Counseling can help you understand your feelings and reactions, and develop techniques that allow you to cope with those feelings when they arise.
Our licensed therapists are specifically trained in a variety of evidence-based therapeutic methods. These methods include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Our goal is to help you achieve your goals.
We understand the effect that military sexual trauma (MST) can have on both the mental and physical health of the survivor, and that survivors are both female and male. We’re here to provide free, confidential counseling for any of the effects of MST. These may include:
- Experiencing strong emotions
- Experiencing no emotions at all (feeling emotionally numb)
- Difficulty sleeping or concentrating
- Relationship difficulties
Our therapists are all either licensed professional counselors or licensed clinical social workers, specifically trained in working with MST survivors. We use the following evidence-based therapies:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
We are here to meet the unique challenges women Veterans face when reentering the civilian world. Our counseling staff is primarily made up of women who understand the unique challenges of women Veterans transitioning back to civilian life.
We can provide counseling for those struggling with substance use issues, using counseling techniques such as:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
We also provide referrals to inpatient and intensive outpatient programs, such as those provided at the Coatesville VA Medical Center.
Visit the Coatesville VA Medical Center site
Sometimes, it’s just not possible to get to the Vet Center for an in-person appointment. We now offer counseling services by phone and telehealth. Don’t let your circumstances prevent you from receiving the help you need.
We understand that the transition from military to civilian life can be a challenge. We offer a variety of ways to assist you in that process such as:
- How to get VA medical benefits and register for care
- Where to go to file claims and other forms
- Understanding your VA education benefits
- Housing and home loans
- Education and referral for VA burial benefits
We can also connect you to Veterans Service Organizations in your community.
We’re an active member of the Veteran and military community throughout Bucks County and the greater Philadelphia. We conduct outreach at numerous Veteran-centric events throughout the year. We also partner with several VA and community organizations to ensure further support. These organizations include:
Everyone grieves in their own way and in their own time. We understand this. We’re here to provide emotional support during your journey of grief recovery. This could include:
- Bereavement counseling for families who have lost a loved one while serving on active duty
- Grief counseling
- Contact information for the Veterans Benefits Administration and National Cemetery Administration regarding possible burial and survivor benefits
We strive to foster a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all Veterans and active-duty service members, regardless of race, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
We work closely with our counterparts in suicide prevention at VA medical centers to reach out to those not connected to services, and to those already connected to services but feeling disconnected from friends and family.
How we're different than a clinic (FAQs)
How we’re different than a clinic
What are Vet Centers?
Vet Centers are small, non-medical, counseling centers conveniently located in your community. They’re staffed by highly trained counselors and team members dedicated to seeing you through the challenges that come with managing life during and after the military.
Whether you come in for one-on-one counseling or to participate in a group session, at Vet Centers you can form social connections, try new things, and build a support system with people who understand you and want to help you succeed.
Who is eligible to receive services at Vet Centers?
Vet Center services are available to you at no cost, regardless of discharge character, and without you needing to be enrolled in VA health care or having a service-connected disability. If you’re a Veteran or service member, including members of the National Guard and Reserve, you can access our services if you:
- Served on active military duty in any combat theater or area of hostility
- Experienced military sexual trauma (regardless of gender or service era)
- Provided mortuary services or direct emergent medical care to treat the casualties of war while serving on active military duty
- Performed as a member of an unmanned aerial vehicle crew that provided direct support to operations in a combat theater or area of hostility
- Accessed care at a Vet Center prior to January 2, 2013, as a Vietnam-Era Veteran
- Served on active military duty in response to a national emergency or major disaster declared by the president, or under orders of the governor or chief executive of a state in response to a disaster or civil disorder in that state.
- Are a current or former member of the Coast Guard who participated in a drug interdiction operation, regardless of the location.
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Are a current member of the Reserve Components assigned to a military command in a drilling status, including active Reserves, who has a behavioral health condition or psychological trauma related to military service that adversely effects quality of life or adjustment to civilian life.
We encourage you to contact us, even if you’re unsure if you meet these criteria. If we can’t help you, we’ll find someone who will.
Our services are also available to family members when their participation would support the growth and goals of the Veteran or active-duty service member. If you consider them family, so do we. We also offer bereavement services to family members of Veterans who were receiving Vet Center services at the time of the Veteran’s death, and to the families of service members who died while serving on active duty.
Do I have to be enrolled in VA health care to access Vet Center services?
No. You don’t have to be enrolled in VA health care or have a service-connected disability.
What about my privacy?
Safe and confidential. Our records can’t be accessed by other VA offices, the DoD, military units, or other community networks and providers without your permission or unless required to avert a life-threatening situation. Here, you can be as open as you want—there’s absolutely no judgment.