Veterans
I joined the British Army in 1994,
and earnt the honour of becoming a Fusilier, a Front Line Infantry regiment steeped in history.
My first tour was to Bosnia in 1995 where I was fortunate enough to serve as "United Nations" and then mid tour changing to "Nato"
(two medals for the price of one).
I also served in Northern Ireland for 3 yrs on separate tours and was one of the Desert Rats that liberated Basrah, Iraq in 2003, and left the Army in 2004.
The Battle's Continue
After serving my time I became lost in the world and subsequently struggled with life in general.
Around the two year mark I ended up divorced, bankrupt, unemployed, street homeless, alone and isolated with no family or friends,
I was a very angry man with ill mental health labelled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,
I had no life or desire to live and became suicidal.
Thankfully I was strong enough to pull my head out my arse and sort myself out (one step at a time).
Realising I needed to re-educate myself I went back to college, then onto University,
and after 5 years of hard emotional slog I earnt my BA (Hons) degree in Counselling
and became a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
and an accredited member of The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS).
I have worked for years in Veteran support and Counselling with various charities and also privately.
I'm not a fluffy Counsellor, I'm just a normal guy whose been through stuff
and came out the other side.
To my knowledge, I am the only front line war veteran, person centred counsellor at degree level
in the country.
Leaving the military can be extremely challenging, research shows that those who have left Her Majesty's Armed Forces although very highly trained, struggle accepting that they may need help/support and struggle even more to ask for it. Issue's they can face include: Depression, Survival Guilt, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Homelessness, Gambling addiction, Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, Suicidal Tendencies or just settling back into Civvy Street.
Veterans may not even realise that the very attributes and behaviours that kept them and their battle buddies alive don't transfer onto civvy street and they can find themselves in Her Majesty's Prisons. These can be things like Domestic Abuse, Domestic Violence, Sexual Harassment in the workplace and so on.
For years, I worked for Veteran Charities including supporting Veterans within the Criminal Justice System, it has infuriated me how Veterans can be treated in their time of need, It equally infuriates me when I am attending yet another funeral from a Veteran committing suicide.
I can empathise and relate with what Veterans go through as I am also Front Line War Veteran myself and have danced with the devil numerous times.
I am still fighting the fight and have turned my negative experiences into positive lessons.
I will never put anyone's picture in the public eye or use them as a case study to obtain further funding.
I have the personal and professional experience, a BA (Hons) degree in Counselling and a proven track record.
Veteran Support
Having spent many years as a Veteran support worker
it would be remiss of me not to provide some links here for other Veteran support.
Just Jack Counselling Services is NOT recommending these services,
equally that doesn't mean you shouldn't give them a try, as there is no such thing as "one size fits all"
and in my experience of Veteran services it massively comes down to
the support worker you get and of course funding.
I have had personal and professional experience of many Veteran organisations,
I take on board that this is not about me but about the individual requiring support,
so regardless of my experience good or bad that doesn't mean it will be the same for you,
so keep an open mind and look for the positives
and if it's not working for you then try someone else,
the only thing here that is important is that you get the help you need.
Don't give up.
Veterans’ Gateway
Information and support for veterans and their families
We are the first point of contact for you and your loved ones. Contact us 24/7 for help across housing, mental wellbeing, finances and more. And we can also refer you directly to our Referral Partners. Get in touch with our friendly helpline team by phone, chat, text and email.
We provide lifelong support to those who are serving or have served in the British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Marines or the Royal Air Force, and to their families.
Founded in 1885, we’re extremely proud of our long-standing heritage and of all the work we do with inspiring people from Tyne & Wear, across the UK and around the world.
The Royal British Legion is here to help members of the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, veterans and their families. And we’re not going anywhere.
We support serving and ex-serving personnel all year round, every day of the week.
Our support starts after one day of service and continues through life, long after service is over.
We provide free support for veterans and their families, including a helpline, Veterans Welfare Service, Defence Transition Services and injury/bereavement compensation scheme payments.
We also provide welfare support for veterans of any age, and their families through the Veterans Welfare Service and the Veterans UK helpline: 0808 1914 218.
Who we are
We provide compensation, pension and welfare support to serving personnel and veterans and facilitate access to appropriate support from other government departments, local authorities,
independent bodies and the charity sector.