Anxiety Therapy for Veterans | Find Your Ground

Anxiety connected to VA systems and military service is often less about fear and more about constant pressure. Many veterans experience ongoing tension, hypervigilance, and frustration tied to navigating benefits, evaluations, medical systems, or support that feels inconsistent or hard to trust. VA anxiety can quietly shape your sleep, focus, mood, and sense of control, especially when you feel you have to stay alert just to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.


Support for VA anxiety here is built for veterans who are exhausted from carrying responsibility alone and managing systems that were not designed with ease in mind. This work recognizes that anxiety is not a personal flaw. It is a reasonable response to prolonged uncertainty, broken follow through, and environments that demand persistence without offering clarity.


Together, we explore how VA related anxiety shows up in your daily life, how it affects your body and decision making, and what actually helps restore steadiness. Treatment focuses on reducing background stress, building predictable structure, and creating ways for support to show up more reliably so your nervous system does not have to stay on guard. Explore the therapy for veterans service.

What is VA therapy?

VA anxiety refers to the chronic stress, tension, and worry many veterans experience in connection with VA systems and military related processes. This can include navigating benefits, medical care, evaluations, paperwork, or inconsistent follow through from institutions meant to provide support. Over time, these experiences can keep your nervous system in a constant state of alert, even outside of obvious stressors.


This type of anxiety is important to name because it is often misunderstood as generalized anxiety or personal overreaction. In reality, VA anxiety is frequently a rational response to prolonged uncertainty, lack of clarity, and systems that require constant vigilance to function. When left unaddressed, it can affect sleep, focus, mood, relationships, and trust in support overall.

Most common symptoms of VA anxiety

  • Persistent worry about follow through: Constant concern that paperwork, benefits, appointments, or decisions will be delayed, denied, or mishandled, leading to ongoing mental load.
  • Heightened stress and irritability: VA anxiety often shows up as tension, frustration, or anger, especially when dealing with unclear processes or repeated requests for information.
  • Difficulty relaxing or standing down: Even outside VA related tasks, your body may stay on alert, making it hard to rest, slow down, or feel at ease.
  • Trouble concentrating and staying organized: Managing multiple systems, deadlines, and requirements can lead to mental fatigue, forgetfulness, or feeling overwhelmed by everyday tasks.
  • Avoidance and procrastination: Anxiety can cause you to delay appointments, calls, or paperwork because engaging with the system feels exhausting or triggering.
  • Strain in relationships: The stress of VA anxiety can spill into family or work relationships, leading to withdrawal, irritability, or feeling misunderstood.

How do I know if I am dealing with VA anxiety?

  • Do I feel tense or overwhelmed whenever I have to deal with VA related tasks?: If appointments, paperwork, phone calls, or follow ups trigger stress that lingers long after the task is done, this may point to VA anxiety.
  • Do I worry that things will fall through if I am not constantly on top of them?: Feeling like you have to monitor every step to ensure progress is a common sign that anxiety is tied to system reliability rather than personal capacity.
  • Do I avoid or delay contacting the VA even when I know I should?: Procrastination or avoidance can be a response to feeling exhausted or frustrated by past experiences with unclear processes or outcomes.
  • Does dealing with the VA affect my mood, sleep, or relationships?: If stress connected to VA systems spills into irritability, poor sleep, or tension with others, it may be impacting more than just logistics.
  • Do I feel calmer only after everything is checked, tracked, or confirmed?: Needing constant reassurance or verification can signal a nervous system stuck in vigilance mode.

Ready to get started?

Step 1: Grounded Intake & Shared Mapping


We start with a collaborative intake session where we slow down together, map what’s happening in your body and life, and name the systems, histories, and power dynamics that have shaped how you respond. This isn’t a checkbox assessment, it’s a Freirean dialogue where your story is treated as real knowledge, not a problem to be fixed.

Step 2: Freirean Praxis Sessions (Reflection + Action)


In ongoing 1:1 sessions, we practice praxis: we reflect critically on your patterns, triggers, and environments, and then translate that insight into small, concrete actions that honor your values and your nervous system. You’ll leave each session with 1–3 grounded experiments or practices, no perfectionism, no overwhelm, just doable steps toward more dignity, choice, and ease.

Step 3: Integration, Reclaiming, and Future Alignment



As we work, we regularly pause to reflect on what’s shifting: how you’re feeling in your body, how your relationships and boundaries are changing, and what freedom looks like for you now. Together, we refine your practices, celebrate what’s working, and craft a sustainable way of living and leading that’s aligned with your values, so the transformation isn’t just a session experience, but part of your everyday life.

Hello, I am Richard De La Garza, LCSW. 

I work with veterans and military connected individuals who are dealing with VA related anxiety and the ongoing stress of navigating complex systems. 


Support for VA anxiety in my practice is centered on restoring agency. Rather than organizing life around constant monitoring, follow ups, or fear of things falling through, we focus on rebuilding steadiness, clarity, and usable control in real situations. The work is practical, disciplined, and designed to reduce the need for constant vigilance outside the therapy room.


This is a space for people who are ready to stop managing around systems and start living with more calm, confidence, and trust in how their days actually unfold.

What topics can we talk about in therapy for VA anxiety?

  • Reducing constant system related stress: We work on how ongoing interaction with VA systems keeps your nervous system in alert mode and build ways to lower background stress and mental load.
  • Managing uncertainty and lack of follow through: Therapy helps you develop strategies for handling unclear timelines, changing requirements, and broken processes without feeling overwhelmed or consumed.
  • Building routines that reduce vigilance: We create simple, predictable structures that lessen the need to constantly check, track, or prepare for worst case scenarios.
  • Emotional responses to frustration and exhaustion: We address irritability, anger, anxiety, or shutdown that often develop when dealing with complex systems over long periods.
  • Boundaries with institutions and people: Therapy supports setting limits around time, energy, and responsibility so VA related stress does not take over your entire life.
  • Impact on relationships and daily life: We explore how VA anxiety spills into family, work, and personal life and develop ways to protect those areas from constant system pressure.
  • Restoring trust and sense of control: The work focuses on rebuilding confidence in your ability to navigate support without carrying everything alone.

Tips and resources for coping with VA anxiety

  • Reduce unnecessary monitoring: Identify which VA related tasks truly require follow up and which do not. Reducing constant checking can lower background stress and mental fatigue.
  • Create a clear system for paperwork and communication: Keeping documents, deadlines, and contacts in one place can help you feel more organized and reduce the sense that something will be missed.
  • Build routines that restore predictability: Consistent daily habits around sleep, meals, and movement help counter the uncertainty that often fuels VA anxiety.
  • Limit exposure to stress amplifiers: Taking breaks from news, online forums, or conversations that increase frustration with systems can help prevent your stress from escalating.
  • Talk with someone who understands military systems: Sharing your experience with a trusted person or fellow veteran can reduce isolation and the pressure to explain yourself.

Hi, I’m Richard De La Garza, a Mexican American–Chicano Licensed Clinical Social Worker

I specialize in liberation-rooted support for veterans, military-connected individuals and families, with a particular commitment to BIPOC and LGBTQ communities. 

Investment & What’s Included:

I believe in being clear and transparent about pricing, so you know exactly what you’re saying “yes” to.

  • Complimentary Consultation

    I offer a complimentary 15‑minute phone consultation. During this call, you’ll have the opportunity to share your needs and ask questions.


    If you prefer, you can request a consultation via email using the contact form; however, I find that a brief verbal conversation often makes it easier to communicate what you’re looking for. 


    I invite you to ask about:


    • The therapy process in general
    • My therapeutic approach
    • Payment and logistics

    So you can make an informed choice about whether my services are the right fit for you.

    START NOW

  • Option 1: Individual Session

     Investment:  


    • Telehealth (online): $250 per 50‑minute session 
    • In‑person (only in San Diego, CA): $300 per 50‑minute session 
    • Students (current full‑time with valid ID): $200 per 50‑minute session

    The same 50‑minute session rate applies whether you are an individual, couple, or family.


     Includes:  


    • One 50‑minute 1:1 session (online or in‑person), centered on your current needs and capacity 
    • Liberation‑rooted, nervous‑system‑informed support (not a one‑size‑fits‑all script) 
    • A brief post‑session summary with 1–3 grounded practices or reflections to explore 
    • An email check‑in within a week to support integration and answer clarifying questions

    START NOW

  • Option 2: Deep Dive Series (6 Sessions over 3 Months)

    Investment: 


    $1,500 for 6 sessions


    (Payment plans available: 2-3 months, 4+ months


    Includes:


    • Six 50‑minute 1:1 sessions, scheduled over approximately 3 months
    • A shared roadmap we co‑create, grounded in your values, goals, and capacity
    • Freire‑inspired reflection + action practices tailored to your real‑life context
    • Access to custom resources (handouts, nervous‑system exercises, journaling prompts)
    • Brief email support between sessions for questions and check‑ins
    START NOW

  • Payments

    I do not accept insurance at this time.


    I accept the following forms of payment:


    • Major credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover
    • Cash, Apple Pay, Venmo, PayPal, and Zelle
    • Checks and debit cards without a credit card feature are not accepted.
    • No Surprises Act: You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate of what your services may cost.
    START NOW

FAQ

What is the VA disability rating for anxiety?

Veterans may qualify for a VA disability rating between 10% and 100% depending on the severity of symptoms and their impact on work and relationships. Ratings are determined by consistency, functionality, and medical documentation from a licensed clinician.

What’s the difference between anxiety and PTSD in veterans?

While both can cause hypervigilance, anxiety is usually future-oriented worry or restlessness, while PTSD often involves re-experiencing past trauma (flashbacks, nightmares, or avoidance). Many veterans experience both, and the VA screens for overlapping symptoms in every evaluation.

How long does anxiety treatment take through the VA?

It depends on your care plan. Short-term programs may last 6–12 weeks, while ongoing therapy and medication management can continue as needed. The VA emphasizes long-term continuity of care, not quick fixes.

Can I get VA anxiety treatment even if I’m not in crisis?

Yes. You don’t need to wait for a crisis to get help. The VA encourages early intervention, many veterans start therapy to manage daily stress, irritability, or sleep problems before they worsen. Early support leads to faster recovery and prevents burnout.

Does the VA offer anxiety treatment for veterans who also have depression or PTSD?

Absolutely. Most VA programs treat co-occurring conditions together since anxiety often overlaps with depression or PTSD. Your care team may combine CBT, medication, and trauma-informed therapy to target all symptoms holistically rather than separately.