CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Camp Pendleton’s Community Counseling Center is a Marine & Family Programs behavioral health program created to take care of service members and their families.
The CCC provides service members and their families free counseling such as: individual, couples, family, child and teen, and care management.
“Counseling increases coping skills, relationship satisfaction, work performance, stress relief, and overall happiness,” said Dr. Mary Rotert, the program manager for the Community Counseling Center.
The CCC and Marine & Family Programs have counselors that assess each patient’s needs and develop goals for their counseling sessions. These counselors are subject matter experts in many areas designed to meet specific needs of the Marine, Sailor, or family member.
“Our counselors cover the whole array of mental health issues; marital, suicide, parent-child relationships, anger, anxiety, stress, adjustment issues, and grief and loss,” said Rotert.
• Marital: The CCC offer couples counseling for married couples, as well as those who are living together or share a child, regardless of marital status.
• Suicide: The Marine Intercept Program is a case-management program where follow-up support, by phone or in person, is offered to all service members who have had a suicidal thoughts or attempts. Service members or their family members who are feeling suicidal should report directly to the nearest emergency room.
• Parent-Child Relationship: Parents who are struggling with behavioral or emotional concerns regarding their children are encouraged to seek assistance from family and child therapists through the CCC.
• Anger: The CCC Anger Management Group occurs every Wednesday from 9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. New clients should complete a walk-in screening first in order to make the best recommendation and referral. Clients with concerns about anger can also be seen individually or in couple’s therapy.
• Anxiety: Clients struggling with anxiety issues such as excessive worry, intrusive thoughts, or nervous feelings are encouraged to come in for a screening. In cases where medication may be appropriate, service members will be referred to the Mental Health Unit.
• Stress: Stress-related issues may build up over time, and begin to create problems at work, in the family, and in relationships.
• Adjustment Issues: Adjustment issues often occur in response to significant changes, like joining the military, getting married, starting a family, and being away from home. CCC clinicians can offer support and skills to help smooth transitions and promote well-being.
• Grief and Loss: Whether it’s the death of a family member back home, or a co-worker or friend, grief counseling helps ease the suffering and depression that accompany a loss. The loss of a job, military career, pending separation, legal challenges, and retirement are also losses that can be eased through counseling.
All the counselors at the CCC are independently licensed and certified, and have a minimum of master’s degree. They also all have previous experience working with service members or their families.
“We have a highly qualified group here and we get many applications whenever we post a listing so we are able to be very selective,” said Rotert.
Files from the CCC do not go into medical record and do not interface with units. Individuals chain-of-commands will not know their Marines and Sailors attend counseling unless danger of self or other or the patient request the command to know.
The CCC is located in the 13-Area of Camp Pendleton on the corner of Rattlesnake Canyon and A Street in Building 130193T. To reach a counselor please call (760) 763-3CCC (3222)