"It matters less that you can fight, but what you fight for is the real task." – John McCain

To: Our Fellow Americans, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Congress, and the President of the United States

From: Veterans and Allies Fighting for VA Mental Health Care That Truly Honors Our Service

We are veterans. We served when our country needed us the most. Because of our service, your sons and daughters did not face the uncertainty of being drafted, as those who had served during Vietnam. Now, we are asking you, our fellow Americans, to stand with us. Stand with us in service to a cause that is greater than one’s individual interest. 

I am John Diaz, a former U.S. Army Reserve Captain with 14 years of service, including 11 months in the Gulf War. Like many of my brothers and sisters, I am a Combat Veteran. Every combat veteran has a unique story, but we all share one undeniable truth: We deserve a mental health care system that understands, respects, and supports our needs.

Our mission: To ensure that every veteran receives continuous, flexible, and comprehensive therapy that is tailored to their individual needs, not constrained by session caps or rigid VA policies.

The reality is grim. Currently, countless veterans are being denied the care we desperately need. That's because the VA quietly caps the number of psychotherapy sessions we can receive.

As a result, veterans are denied access to the very thing that could help us heal – long-term, relationship-based therapy. Instead, we are forced into short-term, cookie-cutter treatments that don’t address the complexity of trauma we carry. These interventions often fail to meet the unique mental health needs of combat veterans, especially those with complex trauma.

I have personal experience with this issue. In 2024, the VA put me into a short-term treatment that actually made my PTSD symptoms worse. When I finally received the kind of psychotherapy that I needed, my treatment ended abruptly. That's because I, like so many other veterans, had hit my session limit. 

In 2024, the National Veterans Suicide Prevention Annual Report revealed that 17.6 veterans take their own lives every day. This is 57.3% higher than the suicide rate among non-veteran adults. These are not just numbers – they are lives. They are all our brothers and sisters.

We are not asking for special treatment. We’re simply asking for the same rights civilians already have: the right to choose a therapy that actually works for us. The VA’s reliance on rigid, manualized treatments, such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), does not work for most combat veterans. I am living proof. What helped me was Talk Therapy, such as psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapies. These approaches helped me rebuild my life. They gave me the strength to move forward, and they can do the same for others.

Mental health care for veterans should be a team effort. Veterans need to feel they are not alone. They need to know they have the unwavering support of their "squad,” including their loved ones and trusted providers alike.

But right now, the system is broken. The VA system prioritizes “efficiency” over healing and treats veterans like a number on a checklist. Directing resources towards treatments that are less effective is not only ineffective but, in fact, wasteful. Veterans who are struggling to survive are told that they've “had enough sessions," even when they’re making progress. This is not care, this is abandonment. It is a repeat of the abandonment we feel when the military says, “Thank you for your service,” and leaves us to fend for ourselves as civilians.

Therapy is not a luxury; it is survival. For so many of us, therapy is the lifeline that prevents homelessness, addiction, or worst of all, suicide. This is not a privilege, it is a right. We are demanding the care we were promised and are owed. Research consistently demonstrates that the therapeutic relationship is the strongest predictor of positive therapy outcomes. Veterans need the opportunity to build trust with their therapists without the constant fear of being cut off from therapy because of arbitrary policies or productivity quotas.

We are calling on the VA, Congress, and the President to act now:

✅ Eliminate session caps and "episodes of care" that cut treatment short and disregard the veteran's needs

✅ Respect the veteran’s right to choose, honoring their treatment preferences and allowing them to make decisions about their own therapy

✅ Protect therapists’ clinical judgment, allowing therapists, not administrators, to decide what’s best for veterans

✅ Support continuity of care, ensuring veterans stay with the same therapist they trust

✅ Expand access to all evidence-based therapies, including longer-term relationship-based therapies, such as psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapies

✅ Honor the therapeutic relationship, which is proven to be the most critical factor in healing and recovery

✅ Treat veterans with the dignity, flexibility, and respect they deserve, just like civilians

To quote John McCain:
"It matters less that you can fight, but what you fight for is the real task."

Veterans: you are not alone. We share a bond that cannot be broken. We are stronger together.

✍️ Join Us. Sign the Petition. “Let’s Get 1 Million Signatures!”

Demand change for better mental health care for veterans who need it, earned it, and deserve it. By signing, you are helping us urge the VA, Congress, and the President to make these long-overdue and imperative changes. 

We'd love to hear your stories as veterans, loved ones, and VA mental health professionals. Let us know at Voices4OurVets@gmail.com.

Please follow our new Instagram account: Voices4OurVets

We ask all veterans to share their stories on social media using the hashtag #Voices4OurVets. 

*Please note: We are NOT requesting any financial contribution.