Date of Conferral

7-30-2026

Date of Award

July 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Counselor Education and Supervision

Advisor

Katherine Kimsey

Abstract

Veterans and service members often delay or avoid engaging in mental health services because of stigma experienced during military service and after transitioning to civilian life, contributing to worsening mental health outcomes. Although mental health professionals (MHPs) with military cultural competence can reduce stigma and improve engagement in care, little is known about how newly trained MHPs perceive their preparedness to effectively serve this population. The purpose of this hermeneutic, phenomenological study was to answer the question of what the lived experiences of new MHPs regarding their preparedness were to support veterans and service members experiencing mental health stigma. Seven participants were recruited using purposive sampling, and data were analyzed using Smith’s interpretative phenomenological analysis framework. The findings revealed that participants perceived graduate education as providing limited preparation for working with military-connected populations and instead developed preparedness through continuing education, consultation, professional experience, self-directed learning, and relationships with military-connected clients. As participants’ preparedness increased, they described greater professional confidence, stronger self-efficacy, enhanced therapeutic relationships, and improved perceived effectiveness in serving veterans and service members. The positive social change implications of this study include informing counselor education programs about the importance of integrating military cultural competence into graduate curricula to better prepare future MHPs, reduce barriers to care, and improve engagement in mental health services among veterans and service members.

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