Professional Consultation for Mental Health Professionals

Elevate Your Practice: Specialized Training for Working with Combat Veterans, SOF Personnel, and Their Families

Transform your ability to effectively serve the warrior community with expert guidance from someone who understands both the clinical and cultural complexities.

You Want to Serve This Population Better. But You Know You're Missing Something.

If any of this resonates, you're in the right place:

You have military clients, but you feel like you're not reaching them. They're polite, they show up, but you sense they're holding back. Conversations feel surface-level, and you suspect they don't think you "get it." You want to build genuine rapport and trust, but something's not clicking.

You struggle to understand their relationship dynamics. Why do their team relationships seem more intense than their marriages? Why do spouses complain about feeling "second place" to people they've never met? Traditional couples therapy approaches aren't working, and you're not sure why.

Their trauma presentations don't fit your training. They don't present like civilian PTSD clients. Some are high-functioning professionals who seem "fine" but report relationship problems. Others describe experiences your traditional trauma training didn't prepare you for. You want to help but feel out of your depth.

You're tired of making cultural mistakes. You've accidentally said things that shut down the conversation or made assumptions that revealed your lack of understanding. You want to speak their language and understand their world, but you don't know where to start.

Your usual interventions aren't working. Evidence-based treatments seem to fall flat with this population. They're not engaging with traditional therapeutic approaches, and you're wondering if there's something specific to military culture that you're missing.

You Don't Need Military Experience to Be Effective. You Need the Right Training.

I'm Dr. Alisa Bartel, and I specialize in training mental health professionals to work effectively with the military and first responder community.

As a Clinical Psychologist married to a Purple Heart SOF combat veteran and stepdaughter to a Green Beret, I understand both the clinical complexities and the cultural nuances that make this population unique. I've developed specialized frameworks that help civilian therapists bridge the gap between clinical expertise and military cultural competence.

I offer Professional Consultation because this population deserves therapists who understand their reality—and you deserve the tools to serve them effectively.

Through individual consultation, group training, and intensive workshops, I can help you develop the cultural competence and clinical skills needed to build trust, create breakthrough moments, and achieve lasting outcomes with military and first responder clients.

My approach isn't about teaching you to be military—it's about teaching you to be a more effective therapist for people whose experiences are outside civilian norms.

What is Professional Consultation?

Professional Consultation provides mental health professionals with specialized training and ongoing support for working with combat veterans, SOF personnel, first responders, and their families. This isn't general military cultural competence—it's specific, practical guidance for the unique challenges these populations present.

Whether you're seeing your first military client or you've worked with veterans for years, consultation can elevate your effectiveness and confidence.

Professional Consultation is perfect for therapists who:

• Want to build genuine rapport with military/first responder clients

• Need help understanding complex relationship dynamics in military families

• Want specialized tools for trauma that goes beyond traditional PTSD models

• Are struggling with treatment-resistant military clients

• Want to develop a military/first responder specialty practice

Why General Military Training Isn't Enough:

Cultural competence ≠ clinical effectiveness: Understanding military hierarchy and deployment cycles is important, but it doesn't teach you how to navigate the emotional armor that keeps these clients safe at work but isolated at home.

One-size-fits-all approaches fail: Combat infantry, SOF, pilots, and support personnel have vastly different experiences. You need to understand these distinctions to be effective.

Traditional trauma models miss the mark: These clients often don't fit PTSD criteria, but they're still struggling. You need frameworks that address adaptive changes, not just pathology.

How Does Professional Consultation Work?

Individual Consultation Sessions

$225 per hour

Perfect for:

• Case consultation on specific clients

• Understanding cultural dynamics you're encountering

• Adapting evidence-based treatments for military populations

• Building confidence with new military clients

• Developing treatment plans for complex cases

Format: Phone, video, or in-person sessions focused on your specific questions and cases.

Intensive Training Workshops

"Beyond Military Cultural Competence: Clinical Effectiveness with Combat Veterans and SOF"

Half-Day Workshop (4 hours) - $1,200

You'll learn:

• The difference between general military and mortality-exposed populations

• Why traditional relationship therapy fails with military couples

• How to recognize and work with Mortality-Exposed Adaptive Drift

• Practical interventions that actually work with this population

• How to build trust and navigate emotional armor

Perfect for: Individual clinicians wanting comprehensive foundation training

"Working with Military Families: The SHIELD Framework for Spouses and Relationships"

Half-Day Workshop (4 hours) - $1,200

You'll learn:

• Why military spouses have unique challenges civilian therapy doesn't address

• The SHIELD Framework for supporting military/first responder families

• How to work with secondary trauma and emotional labor in spouses

• Navigating the competing loyalties between team bonds and family relationships

• Practical tools for improving military relationship dynamics

Perfect for: Clinicians who work with military families and couples

"Advanced Interventions: Heart-Edge Integration and Tactical Empathy"

Full-Day Workshop (8 hours) - $2,400

You'll learn:

• Advanced frameworks for maintaining professional effectiveness while building emotional connectivity

• How to teach tactical empathy as a therapeutic tool

• Working with moral injury and brotherhood grief

• Advanced case conceptualization for complex military trauma

• Integration techniques for transitioning veterans

Perfect for: Experienced clinicians ready for advanced techniques

Group Training for Organizations

Team Training for Mental Health Organizations

Custom pricing based on group size and needs

Includes:

• Customized training based on your client population

• Multiple training sessions for sustained learning

• Case consultation support for implementation

• Resource materials and assessment tools

• Follow-up support for challenging cases

Perfect for: Mental health organizations, military treatment facilities, VA systems, employee assistance programs

Ongoing Professional Support

Monthly Case Consultation Group

$150 per month per participant

• Monthly 90-minute group consultation calls

• Case presentation and discussion

• Peer learning with other military-focused clinicians

• Access to specialized resources and tools

• Priority access to new training materials

Perfect for: Building ongoing competence and professional community

What You'll Gain from Professional Consultation:

✅ Genuine rapport with military clients who previously seemed unreachable

✅ Understanding of why traditional interventions fail and what works instead

✅ Confidence working with complex military relationship dynamics

✅ Tools for working with adaptive changes, not just pathology

✅ Cultural competence that goes beyond surface-level military knowledge

✅ Frameworks for distinguishing between different military populations and their needs

✅ Practical interventions you can implement immediately

✅ Professional community with others who specialize in this population

Investment in Your Professional Development

All consultation and training options are designed to provide immediate, practical value that you can implement with your current clients. Pricing reflects the specialized nature of this training and the unique expertise required to serve military and first responder populations effectively.

CE Credits: Training workshops include continuing education credits for licensed mental health professionals.

Materials Included: All workshops include comprehensive resource packets, assessment tools, and reference materials.

Follow-up Support: Workshop participants receive 30 days of email consultation support for implementation questions.

Who This Training Is For:

Licensed Mental Health Professionals Including:

• Clinical psychologists and psychiatrists

• Licensed clinical social workers (LCSW)

• Licensed professional counselors (LPC/LPCC)

• Marriage and family therapists (MFT)

• Substance abuse counselors working with military populations

Organizations Serving Military Populations:

• VA medical centers and outpatient clinics

• Military treatment facilities

• Community mental health organizations

• Employee assistance programs

• Private practice groups

Experience Levels:

• New to military populations: Foundation training and cultural competence

• Some military experience: Advanced techniques and specialized interventions

• Experienced military clinicians: Consultation for complex cases and professional development

Frequently Asked Questions

"Do I need military experience to be effective with this population?"

No. Clinical expertise combined with cultural understanding and appropriate training is often more effective than military experience alone. Many of the most effective military therapists are civilians who've taken the time to truly understand this population.

"How is this different from general military cultural competence training?"

This focuses specifically on clinical effectiveness, not just cultural awareness. You'll learn practical interventions, treatment adaptations, and case conceptualization approaches that work with this population's unique psychological patterns.

"Will this help with VA or military clients specifically?"

This training applies to military and first responder clients regardless of setting. Whether you're working in the VA system, private practice, or community mental health, these skills will improve your effectiveness.

"What if I only work with military spouses?"

The spouse-focused training is specifically designed for clinicians working with military families. Understanding the military member's experience is crucial for effectively supporting their spouses.

"Can this training help with first responders too?"

Yes. The frameworks apply to all mortality-exposed populations, including police, firefighters, EMTs, and other first responders who face similar psychological challenges.

Ready to Transform Your Practice?

Schedule your consultation to discuss your specific training needs and goals.

You entered this profession to help people. These brave men and women who've dedicated their lives to protecting others deserve therapists who can truly serve them. With the right training, you can be that therapist.

Your commitment to professional growth honors their service.

Getting Started

For Individual Consultation:

Contact me directly to schedule case consultation or discuss your specific learning goals. We'll customize the approach based on your experience level and client needs.

For Workshop Training:

Workshops can be scheduled individually or for groups. Contact me to discuss scheduling, location (in-person or virtual), and any customization needed for your specific setting.

For Organizational Training:

I work with organizations to develop comprehensive training programs tailored to your staff's needs and client population. Initial consultation helps determine the best approach for your team.

Dr. Alisa Bartel is licensed to provide consultation and training in Colorado and nationwide. All training includes evidence-based approaches specifically adapted for military and first responder populations.