Academy counselors available to help with life's challenges

  • Published
  • By Amber Baillie
  • Academy Spirit staff writer
U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. --  
Academy Military Family Life counselors offer free and flexible short-term counseling with no strings attached.

The four Academy MFLCs can meet with service members, their families, Defense Department civilians, or cadets on or off-base to provide situational, problem-solving counseling support and education in the areas of family separation, grief and loss, holiday stress, intimacy and trust, stresses of military life and access to self-help resources.

"It can be brief -- individuals can come in on a moment's notice and we can even talk to them on the phone," said Kenn Briggs, a MFLC. "We're flexible. The beauty of our program is that its easy access, and cadets or service members can come in for what they need and don't have to commit to anything."

The counselors don't obtain records, and they focus on non-medical, solution-focused counseling, said Amanda Metcalfe, a MFLC.

"It's extremely safe," she said. "The counseling is free and sessions can last anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours. We try to answer our phones between 8 a.m.-8 p.m."
Briggs said they also provide information on overall self-care.

"We emphasize helpful ways for individuals to protect their health and reduce stress by going on a run or through other exercise as ongoing maintenance," He said.
The program has been available at the Academy for about six years and counselors follow strict confidentiality guidelines.

"It's a great resource and hopefully the benefits outweigh the only expense, which is time," Briggs said.

MFLC programs include counseling for adults and children on life skills such as relationships, crisis intervention, stress management, grief, and other individual and family issues. They also provide counseling for deployment stress, separation, coping skills and reintegration to home life following a deployment.

Call 651-4810 or 333-3444 to reach a counselor.