DOTHAN, Ala. – The Bay County Vet Center staff and their community partners will conduct a special educational outreach session event for veterans in the Dothan, Ala., area on Jan. 31 at the Houston County Health Department.

Titled “A New Chance at Life,” the free event is a psycho-educational effort that will provide mental health counseling, massage therapy, yoga, relaxation techniques and many more therapy options to veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The event will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The HCHD is located at 1781 E. Cottonwood Road, Dothan, Ala., 36301. Event participants should park in the nearby old fairgrounds area.

Deb Tainsh, wife of retired Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. David Tainsh, Vietnam and Gulf War Veteran, and mother of Army Sgt. Patrick Tainsh, who was killed in action in 2004 while serving in Baghdad, Iraq, will give a special presentation on coping with grief and "survivors guilt" from the perspective of surviving family members. Tainsh has written books on coping and healing and has mentored military survivors across the country who grieve the death of a loved one who has died in war or by other causes.

“I believe that any veteran who has served in a war zone, family members of veterans or those who serve veterans can benefit from the information I share based on my family's personal experiences and others I've mentored,” Tainsh said.

Representatives from other Department of Veterans Affairs programs will also be on hand, including: vocational rehabilitation and mental health. Community-based therapy services that will be available include: grief counseling, massage, yoga, rational emotive therapy, and acupuncture/chiropractic.

VA’s Vet Center program offers a wide range of free services to assist war zone veterans and their families make a successful transition from military to civilian life. These services include various types of readjustment counseling such as individual, marital, family, and group as well as bereavement and military sexual trauma therapy. Vet Center readjustment counselors also offer employment, medical, and benefit referrals to veterans.

For more information on the Vet Centers, visit http://www.vetcenter.va.gov/. Veterans can confidentially speak with a Vet Center counselor at any time by calling 1-877-927-8387. The Bay County Vet Center’s phone number is 850-522-6102, its address is 3109 Minnesota Ave, Suite 101, Panama City, FL, 32405.