Diversity and Learning Hook Local Counselor on Volunteering for Vets

From her seat, Linda Zahavi, a licensed professional counselor and board-certified art therapist in Lake Oswego, Oregon, knows how providing counseling services for free impacts her bottom line. But it’s not how you think. For one hour every week, a post-9/11 veteran sits on the couch across from her and receives free mental health counseling. Not a penny is exchanged for her services, yet both Linda and her clients are walking away with something of significant value.

Linda’s pro bono clients come to her through the Returning Veterans Project (RVP) – a local non-profit providing free, confidential mental and physical health services to post-9/11 war zone veterans, service members, and their families in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Linda knows that local veterans are coming home from their military service with needs that aren’t being met by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). What many civilians (like Linda) primarily know about the VA comes from the media and by hearing veterans’ own stories of VA experiences. “I have heard that it’s hard to get appointments. That they are often cancelled. There’s long waits. And sometimes agendas are pushed.”

Linda knows that local veterans are coming home from their military service with needs that aren’t being met by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Linda learned about volunteering her counseling services with RVP through a colleague she bumped into at a professional training. Having been a trauma therapist her whole career, Linda jumped at the opportunity to assist veterans and service members who were recovering from the trauma and challenges they experienced before, during, or after their military service. And she was delighted to discover an additional bonus – free, specialized trainings from RVP. 

A Surprising Observation

When she started volunteering, Linda learned a lot from RVP’s comprehensive orientation materials and veterans/military culture trainings about why counseling veterans might be different than counseling civilians. She learned that some of the differences include veterans’ unique military experiences, how military culture builds resiliency, and how service members are trained to put the needs of others above their own.

But something surprised Linda once she began supporting RVP clients each week. “I thought ‘Okay, we’re going to do PTSD work on your combat experience.’ So far, it’s not necessarily what people want to do because the immediate is going so badly.” Linda expected to support veterans who were severely traumatized by their military service and ready to address that trauma head on. But for most of her clients, it’s the present, everyday issues that they are struggling with and want support to address.

What many of Linda’s veteran clients really needed was support on building a life at home where they are readjusting to more autonomy and living without the immediate intensity of war. They are looking for support with the same issues her non-military clients wrestle with: relationships, school, work, and balancing one’s whole life. “Despite [RVP] training being very focused on the actual trauma of what is experienced in battle, the bigger issues are kind of the same issues other people have; but they are exacerbated.”

What many of Linda’s veteran clients really needed was support on building a life at home where they are readjusting to more autonomy and living without the immediate intensity of war.

In many cases, Linda helps her RVP clients find the resources they need to accomplish the tasks necessary for living a well-balanced and fulfilling life in our complex society. Linda’s veteran clients ask a very common question as they return to civilian life: “How do you structure a life and get everything done?” However, Linda sees that it can take more time for a veteran to resolve the same issues that civilian clients may have because veterans are also processing the experiences and traumas of military service at the same time.

“In this world, everyone is struggling with the minutia of life,” Linda says. But she sees how the pride, discipline, strength, and leadership skills that veterans learn during military service impact how they process the challenges of reintegrating into civilian life. “Despite having a vet for a husband and my father, that was new to me,” she states.

How Supporting Others Supports Her Practice

Many factors – both personal and practical – compelled Linda to volunteer for the Returning Veterans Project. On the personal side, Linda loves the diversity that her volunteer work brings to her practice. “I meet all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds. People I might not normally come into contact with in other circles, and that’s what I love.”

I meet all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds. People I might not normally come into contact with in other circles, and that’s what I love.

On the practical side, there’s a noteworthy financial benefit to Linda’s decision to volunteer. In exchange for offering one hour of services to an RVP client each week, she receives – free of charge – the quality continuing education units needed to maintain her license every year. She’s not losing money on the deal, and that’s a fact she wishes more counselors knew. “Financially, if people say, ‘I couldn’t afford to not have a slot.’ I say, ‘Well you can because you’ll get free CEUs, and the financial balance will completely offset that.”

In Linda’s experience, RVP’s trainings are the highest-quality around. “Everyone is out there promoting their little trainings just to give you credits that we all need for our counseling licenses. And a lot of them, especially for an experienced person, are really terrible. [RVP trainings] are the best trainings around.”

It’s Our Job to Take Care of Each Other

Linda is hooked on volunteering her services for members of our local veterans and military communities. While RVP’s trainings are a big selling point, she plans to offer free services to RVP clients for as long as she is able. Linda also understands her role and her motivation in caring for veterans and service members more deeply now. She says, “It’s our job as people, no matter what our profession is, to take care of each other in these difficult times. That’s the most important thing we can do. It goes beyond ambitions or titles or personal growth. At a certain point, those things fall away naturally and what’s left is just kindness. We take care of each other.”

It’s our job as people, no matter what our profession is, to take care of each other in these difficult times. That’s the most important thing we can do. It goes beyond ambitions or titles or personal growth. At a certain point, those things fall away naturally and what’s left is just kindness. We take care of each other.

Linda is dedicated to ensuring our veterans are strong, successful, and appreciated members of our community when they return home from their military service. Still, her dedication increases with every veteran she serves. “The veterans, they’ll die for us. Even on our home base, if we’re in a casual situation and there’s a veteran and something happens, they will know what to do. They are trained to take care of us and die for others. And I think it’s just natural that we would want to cherish our warriors. We might wish that it wasn’t even needed, but it’s the way things are and you can’t not. It’s just the right thing.”

Originally published January 23, 2019.