MFLCs aid resiliency

LAJES FIELD, Azores -- If you have been in the military for any length of time, you know that Mental Health and the Chapel are outlets for you to talk to. In my 15 years of military service I have heard countless supervisors, leadership, first sergeants and chiefs express their open door policy. Yet, who wants to walk into their boss' office to express frustration with their spouse because they washed your ABUs with bleach by accident or how the current workload is stressing them out or just to have an emotional meltdown to relieve some stress?

Being 17 weeks pregnant with my fifth baby, I have found myself crying in the frozen produce aisle and laughing hysterically all within a five-minute time frame. Despite having a wonderful husband who I can talk to and who is my best support, I still need to just talk. As I looked in my NCO toolbox, I noticed a resource called the Military Family Life Consultant. I vaguely remember a briefing about them not keeping records of your visit and you can visit them up to 12 times, but I didn't know anything else.

I called the Airman and Family Readiness Center and asked for the MFLC. The consultant scheduled me for my first visit the very next day.

After being briefed about the things that must be reported and what to expect from their short term services, I began talking about my feelings. I cried and laughed freely as I relieved my emotions.

What made talking with the MFLC a little more unique than talking with a mental health professional or even the chapel personnel was that I could talk to someone who would be rotated out in a few weeks. MFLC's are contracted employees that rotate. Knowing that I could talk to someone who would be leaving and that was not a parent from my daughter's cheerleading team or someone who I would see at the next command event made my release of some intimate feelings a lot more unrestricted.

The consultants, who all are licensed professionals with a master's degree or higher in their fields, do not diagnose or work with medical issues and they do not take notes or report to the chain of command except to meet legal obligations or to prevent harm to one's self or others.

By my second visit, I was able to create a plan of action, which the MFLC helped me to develop. I learned that not only could I visit the MFLC, but my whole family could as well. There is even an MFLC for children.

So if you want to have a venting moment or a different avenue to think things through, know that the MFLC can be an alternative resource. The MFLCs can conduct individual, family and/or group consultations anywhere you want except in your living quarters/private residence. So ... Viva La Resilience by way of the MFLC is only a phone call away! Just call your local A&FRC for more information.