An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

During COVID-19, Use of Non-Medical Family Counseling Remains Strong

You have accessed part of a historical collection on defense.gov. Some of the information contained within may be outdated and links may not function. Please contact the DOD Webmaster with any questions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdowns, the use of counseling support, such as what's available through Military OneSource has continued to rise — something that's actually been happening since before lockdowns began in March, said Lee Kelley, the director of Military Community Support Programs.

"We've seen a steady increase in Military OneSource utilization of non-medical counseling that has continued throughout COVID-19, but did not start at the onset of COVID-19," Kelley said, adding that during COVID-19, the lockdowns and the pandemic itself have increasingly shown up as stressors in counseling sessions.

A soldier holds up a phone that has his wife on screen, while looking at a person on another screen who holds a sign that says "Family"
Family Chat
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Peters, assigned to the 411th Hospital Center video-chats with his wife, Rita Peters, from Kuwait while watching a video put together by hospital center staff, April 29, 2020.
Photo By: Staff Sgt. Michael Romero
VIRIN: 200429-A-BP771-858P

The Military OneSource program has always provided non-medical counseling, Kelley said, for such issues related to military life that are under the threshold of what would be needed for a mental health diagnosis. Included in issues covered there, Kelley said, are relationships, anger, communications issues, grief and loss, for instance. The non-medical counseling provided through Military OneSource can be provided face-to-face, she said, but more often it's provided via telephone or video.

The related Military and Family Life Counseling Program, on the other hand, has always been face-to-face. That is, Kelley said, until COVID-19 closed down so many resources.

"What happened during COVID-19 was [that] a demand signal immediately went up from our military community, service members and families around the globe," Kelley said. "[They said] ... we don't want to lose the capability of the counseling support provided by the Military and Family Life Counseling Program. So the program quickly transitioned in a matter of days to provide telehealth support ... so that same counselor that you knew from your child's school, you were then able to connect with via video."

A young girl sits at a kitchen table and looks at a laptop computer screen.  In the background, a young woman also looks at a computer screen.
Student Homework
Kendal Morgenweck, a 5th grade student at Hohenfels Elementary School, completes her online assignments at home in Hohenfels, Germany, March 26, 2020.
Photo By: Air Force Sgt. 1st Class Garrick Morgenweck
VIRIN: 200326-A-YY256-1887

Kelley said a commonality between both counseling programs is that the most frequent topic for personnel seeking assistance from both services is relationship issues.

"That's the top issue people seek non-medical counseling through our programs for: relationship support," she said.

As a result, Kelley said, Military Community Support Programs has created a new program to focus specifically on highlighting the issue.

Three children and their parents hold hands as they walk together.
First Day
Air Force Staff Sgt. Jason Dieterle and his family head to the Aviano Elementary School building at Aviano Air Base, Italy, Aug. 24, 2020. It was the first time students were allowed back to the schools since they closed in February due to COVID-19. Parents were given the option to bring their kids to school or continue virtual education from home.
Photo By: Air Force Staff Sgt. K. Tucker Owen
VIRIN: 200824-F-DV125-1071A

"We've been focused on a public-facing relationship campaign to help pull back the curtain on what relationship support looks like for couples in the military," she said. "And we're looking internally at how we provide that relationship support to determine how we can do it in the most effective manner possible."

No Rise in Domestic Abuse

While there have been some reports in the civilian community of a rise in reports of domestic abuse during COVID-19, the same hasn't happened in the military community, defense leaders said.

"Certainly, we see the news and we know that in the civilian community there are increases in the number of reports," said Carolyn Stevens, the director of the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy. "We are not currently seeing that within our military services. In fact, the number of reports now are very similar to the reports a year ago this time."

Three people sit at a long table. A woman stands at a lectern. In the foreground, a man sits in a chair, facing them.
Pentagon Briefing
Director of the Defense State Liaison Office Marcus Beauregard, Director of the Non-Medical Counseling Program Office Lee Kelley and Senior Program Manager Carolyn Stevens conduct a briefing highlighting the increased awareness of the military community and family policy initiatives at the Pentagon, Oct. 29, 2020.
Photo By: Air Force Staff Sgt. Jack Sanders, DOD
VIRIN: 201029-D-XI929-1001

Nevertheless, she said, because there have been reports of such an increase in civilian communities, the department needs to keep an eye on the issue.

"We are concerned ... and this is an issue that we do need to maintain watch [on]," she said.

Related Stories