WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE, Mass. -- Westover welcomed Debbie Moores, their new Military Family Life Counselor, to the 439th Airlift Wing family in January.
Moores is the second MFLC to be assigned to Westover on a permanent basis. Previously, Westover MFLCs served on a rotating basis and were shared with Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts.
She got her start as a mental health counselor in Connecticut working for an elementary school.
“I knew from an early age I wanted to be in a helping profession,” she said. “Whether it was helping kids by being a teacher or through counseling. When I was in grad school, I took a course on grief, dying and loss and decided to become a grief counselor.”
After grad school, Moores started in hospice therapy and then transitioned into becoming a military counselor in 2015 where she worked at the Naval Base in Kittery and at Hanscom AFB.
“Military families deal with a very specific set of issues,” she said. “Knowing how to manage those stressors is really important in navigating a successful career.”
Moores said she is available for counsel on various topics including deployments, financial stressors, military and family life or relationship issues.
“My advice for Airmen is to recognize its ok to reach out for help in stressful times,” she said. “But most importantly things can always get better and they usually do get better.”
Virtual counseling sessions are available, as well as in-person sessions in alternative locations that do not include your place of residence.
“I’m just a phone call away,” she said. “But even if you can’t meet in my office, I’m happy to do things over a Zoom call or in a public meetup spot.”
Moores said that confidentiality is always respected and no one can be turned away from receiving help.
“My door is always open,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to reach out. If I don’t know something I will make sure to find the answer for you.”
Moores is a licensed therapist in three states including Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. In addition to providing counseling, she is also available for presentations and trainings.
“I actually have a couple lunch and learns scheduled for stress management and suicide awareness,” she said. “So if anyone wants these trainings they can just contact me directly.”
Moores office is located at Westover inside building 1100. She can be reached at (413) 335-0022 or at mooresd@magellanfederal.com.