In November of 2022 the VA (Veterans Affairs) opened up a new mental health facility in Gainesville Florida. This facility has windows on every mental health provider’s office doors. These providers are not allowed to cover up their windows. The mental health providers at this VA facility are in agreement that this is a bad idea. The people who have made this decision are those who do not interact with the veteran population which they are supposed to serve.

 

When I spoke to VA leadership at this facility, I was told they wanted the windows so that supervisors could look into veterans private sessions with their therapists. This is because they are afraid veterans will attack their mental health providers. There are other solutions to this “problem” that make much more sense than invading veteran’s privacy. Allowing others to see into these private sessions that veterans have with their therapists, only further perpetuates the stigma of a dangerous veteran seeking mental health treatment.

 

My goal is to help make our voices heard on this issue. I want VA leadership to know from veterans and their loved ones that this is not acceptable! Thank you for your help! 

 

 

 

A safe therapeutic setting is crucial for a healing environment. This is a setting which allows the patient to let their guard down and feel comfortable enough to open up to their therapist. This setting is one which patients should feel comfortable enough to feel and show their true emotions to their mental health providers.

One way which patients show their emotions is by crying. For most veterans, it is difficult to allow yourself to cry in front of other people. It requires a lot of trust in the therapeutic relationship and environment to be able to be this vulnerable in a session. Having a window which others can see into during a patient’s session with their mental health providers disrupts this healing environment.

The fear of somebody walking by and seeing you being vulnerable and even crying while you are in a therapy session is one that nobody should have to face. Unfortunately, having windows on the doors of every mental health provider’s office and group rooms at the new VA mental health facility has introduced this new fear for veterans seeking mental health treatment.

Negative stigmas against seeking mental health treatment are ones which impact veterans to a high degree. The military culture is one that fosters an environment which puts the emphasis on emotional stoicism, often to the detriment of the service member’s health. This culture is one which veterans carry throughout their lives, lasting long after their military service. 

This is a culture which negatively impacts veterans and makes it difficult to gain the courage to seek mental health treatment. Veterans are taught from the first day of basic training that the mission comes first, even at the detriment of their physical, emotional, and mental health. Requiring therapists to have their windows in their office doors uncovered for safety and security reasons only further perpetuates that negative stigma against the veteran population. The VA’s mission and duty is to care for the well-being of the veteran. This care should not be neglected for the illusion of safety and security.

Knowing that people can see into your private sessions with your therapists is a barrier to veterans seeking mental health treatment. This disrupts the privacy that a veteran should have when they are with their mental health providers. 

In order to create a therapeutic setting which respects veteran privacy and comfort, we urge the VA leadership to allow mental health providers to cover the windows on their office doors.