Real Talk: Mental Health By Tami Brown, MAnCase Manager, The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinicat VVSD, San Diego www.cohenveteransnetwork.org
Investing in Your Mental Wellness I retired from the United States Navy as a Hospital Corpsman in March 2025. I was always preparing for the unexpected. Being attached to Marine units, I knew I had to stay ready, so I didn’t have to get ready: keeping myself physically and medically ready; and investing a lot of time, energy and effort into everything but my mental health. During my transition from military to civilian life, I recognized a familiar pattern among veterans; we feel a strong sense of duty to others, simultaneously neglecting to prioritize ourselves.
“it’s okay to not be okay.” Providing kindness and grace to ourselves (i.e. “We did the best we could with what we had” or “It’s okay, I’m still learning”) are ways to invest in our mental wellness. Practicing self-compassion is another great way to invest in our mental wellness and a strong start to improving our overall well-being. When we start investing in our mental wellness, our overall wellbeing and quality of life can improve. When we can understand ourselves better, we can better engage with others and find a new purpose outside the military life that has consumed us.
January marks the start of a new year, offering a fresh slate and an opportunity to prioritize what truly matters—our mental wellness. As we set goals and intentions for the months ahead, it’s the perfect time to reflect on how we’re caring for our emotional and psychological health. Whether it’s seeking support, building healthier habits, or simply taking moments to recharge, focusing on mental wellness in January can set a positive tone for the entire year. It’s a reminder that investing in ourselves is not just a resolution but a commitment to living a balanced and fulfilling life. Mental wellness can be described as the way we manage stress, regulate our emotions, connect with others and how we adapt to change. Being in the military requires prolonged periods of hypervigilance, sacrifice and responsibility over others. Over time, these demands slowly chip away at our sleep, relationships, and overall quality of life. By investing in our mental wellness, we can address these effects, begin to manage them before they become overwhelming and consume our being. Mental wellness is more than just going to therapy or meditating. It’s about how we engage with others, how do we take care of our bodies in a physical manner, and the way we talk to ourselves on a daily basis. One way to invest in our mental wellness is to have self-compassion. Acknowledging how we are feeling, managing it the best way we can (reach out to a trusted source, peer, etc.) and understanding that we don’t need to “fix it” are ways to invest in our mental wellness. Understanding it is human for us to feel anger, guilt, shame (just to name a few) allows us to give space to better comprehend the saying 20 SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / January 2026
About the Author
Tami Brown, MA, APCC, is a Navy Hospital Corpsman Veteran and Case Manager at the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at VVSD in San Diego, where she connects veterans, active service members, and their families to essential resources such as employment, mental health services, and education. With a BA in General Studies focused on Psychology and an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Southern New Hampshire University, Tami brings extensive clinical experience from her work at Alvarado Parkway Institute and the Community Research Foundation’s Halcyon Crisis Center. Passionate about serving the military community, Tami values the Cohen Clinic’s mission to enhance mental health care and quality of life for service members and their families. Coming from a proud military family, Tami is dedicated to making meaningful connections and supporting those who have served. For more information, visit vvsd.net/cohenclinics