PTSD, combat trauma, and transition support for those who served. Evidence-based care from providers who understand military culture. VA benefits accepted.
If you’re a veteran struggling with PTSD, combat trauma, military sexual trauma, depression, anxiety, or substance use, you’ve already demonstrated the strength and resilience required to serve our country. Seeking mental health treatment isn’t a weakness—it’s the same courage that led you to serve, now directed toward your own wellbeing.
At Friendly Recovery Center in Tustin, California, we provide specialized mental health treatment for veterans throughout Orange County. We understand that military service creates unique mental health challenges requiring more than generic civilian treatment approaches. Combat exposure, military culture, the transition from military to civilian life, service-connected disabilities, and the identity shift from service member to veteran all require specialized understanding.
Our Joint Commission accredited mental health program is specifically designed for Orange County veterans. We offer flexible treatment options, accept VA benefits and TRICARE, and coordinate with your existing VA providers for comprehensive care that respects your service and understands military culture.
We Work with VA Community Care, TRICARE, and Private Insurance
Free benefits verification. We help navigate authorization processes and coordinate with your VA providers for comprehensive care. Learn about VA benefits coverage for our programs →
Intrusive memories, nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance. According to the VA, 11-20% of Iraq/Afghanistan veterans experience PTSD. Evidence-based treatment works.
Sexual assault or harassment during service. Specialized trauma-informed care addressing the unique dynamics of MST within military structure. Confidential, survivor-centered treatment.
Guilt, shame, or spiritual crisis from combat actions. According to the National Center for PTSD, moral injury requires specialized treatment approaches beyond traditional PTSD care.
Guilt, shame, or spiritual crisis from combat actions. According to the National Center for PTSD, moral injury requires specialized treatment approaches beyond traditional PTSD care.
Alcohol or drugs to manage PTSD, pain, or sleep problems. We treat the underlying mental health driving substance use, not just the behavior.
Loss of military identity, structure, and purpose. Cultural disconnect from civilians. Employment and relationship difficulties adjusting to civilian life.
Generic civilian mental health treatment often fails veterans because therapists don’t understand military culture, combat trauma, or the unique stressors of military service. Veterans need clinicians who recognize:
Our clinical team includes veterans and mental health specialists extensively trained in military culture, combat trauma, and evidence-based therapies proven effective specifically for veteran populations. We don’t treat you like a civilian with anxiety—we understand your service experiences and tailor treatment accordingly.
Learn more about PTSD in veterans from the VA’s National Center for PTSD.
Learn how our intensive programs work for veterans who need to balance treatment with work, school, or family responsibilities.
We offer evidence-based mental health care tailored to the unique experiences of military service. Whether you’re dealing with combat-related PTSD, military sexual trauma (MST), moral injury, depression, or transition challenges, our clinical team understands the specific mental health needs of veterans.
We utilize therapies proven effective for veteran PTSD and combat trauma, recommended by the Department of Veterans Affairs and American Psychological Association:
CPT helps you understand how combat trauma changed your thinking about safety, trust, control, and self-worth. You’ll identify “stuck points”—unhelpful beliefs like “I should have saved him” or “I can’t trust anyone”—and learn to challenge them with evidence.
What the research shows: According to VA research, about 50% of veterans completing CPT no longer meet PTSD diagnostic criteria. CPT typically involves 12 sessions where you learn to recognize how trauma affects your thoughts and develop skills to challenge unhelpful thinking patterns.
PE involves gradually, safely confronting trauma memories (imaginal exposure) and situations you’ve been avoiding (in vivo exposure). Through repeated exposure in therapy, memories lose their power to trigger intense fear and hyperarousal.
What the research shows: Studies demonstrate 60-80% of veterans completing PE show clinically significant PTSD symptom reduction. PE typically takes 8-15 sessions and includes between-session homework practicing exposures.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or sounds) while you briefly focus on traumatic memories, helping your brain reprocess the trauma and reduce emotional intensity. EMDR requires less verbal discussion of trauma details than CPT or PE, which many veterans prefer.
What the research shows: Studies show 77-90% of single-trauma PTSD resolves within 6-12 EMDR sessions. Complex trauma (multiple deployments, MST, childhood abuse) requires longer treatment—typically 12-20+ sessions.
Learn more about EMDR therapy for PTSD.
Treatment intensity depends on the level of care appropriate for your symptoms. During your confidential assessment, our clinical team recommends the treatment program that best matches your PTSD severity, daily functioning, and life circumstances—ensuring you receive the right amount of support without disrupting work, school, or family responsibilities unnecessarily.
We work collaboratively with the VA, not in competition. Many veterans benefit from both VA services and community-based care. We coordinate treatment with your VA mental health providers, psychiatrists, and case managers—sharing records and treatment plans with your authorization.
If you’re experiencing long VA wait times (>20 business days), live more than 40 minutes from the nearest VAMC, or the VA doesn’t offer specialized trauma programs, you may qualify for VA Community Care authorization—allowing you to receive treatment at our facility with VA covering the costs.
How it works:
Important: You do NOT need existing service-connected disability rating to use Community Care. All veterans enrolled in VA healthcare can access community providers when VA can’t meet your needs in a timely manner.
We also accept TRICARE for active duty families and military retirees, plus most private insurance plans. We provide free benefits verification and explain your coverage before you commit.
Combat-related and non-combat PTSD. Evidence-based treatment: CPT, PE, EMDR. Addressing all symptom clusters.
Specialized trauma care for MST survivors. Confidential, survivor-centered, addressing unique betrayal dynamics.
Major depression, survivor’s guilt, loss of purpose. CBT and behavioral approaches proven effective.
Processing shame, guilt, spiritual crisis from combat actions. Specialized interventions for ethical wounds.
GAD, panic disorder, social anxiety, hypervigilance. Evidence-based anxiety management strategies.
Treating mental health driving substance use. Addressing PTSD, depression, pain management issues.
Coordinating care for veterans with traumatic brain injury and co-occurring mental health conditions.
Military to civilian adjustment, identity loss, employment challenges, relationship difficulties.
Taking the first step toward mental health treatment requires courage—the same courage you demonstrated in service. Here’s how to get started:
Call us to discuss your mental health challenges, service history, and treatment goals. We’ll conduct a confidential evaluation (available in-person at our Tustin facility or via telehealth) and recommend appropriate care options.
We’ll help you understand:
Questions We’ll Answer:
Ready to start your journey towards recovery and stability? Contact Friendly Recovery Center today and let us help you improve your mental health and wellness.
Our experienced team provides expert IOP, PHP, and outpatient care for individuals in Orange County. We deliver personalized counseling, group therapy, and holistic treatments in a supportive environment designed to improve your life.
Our team is ready to help—call us now!
All calls are 100% free and confidential
