Mind Relief: Service & Recover app icon Service & Recover

For veterans, families & the people beside them

Not therapy. Clarity.

A free, calm guide to mental health treatment for veterans and their families — PTSD pathways in plain language, a personal safety plan, appointment prep, and paced breathing. Everything stays on your phone. Help is one tap away.

Download free on the App Store See what's inside

Free · no account · no data collected · built by a physician

The toolkit

  • 01
    Safety Plan7-step Stanley-Brown model used in VA settings. Stays on your device.
  • 02
    Appointment PrepTopics, notes, medications, and questions — ready before you walk in.
  • 03
    Paced BreathingBox, 4-7-8, and coherent breathing with gentle visuals and haptics.
  • 04
    Treatment PathwaysPTSD, depression, sleep & pain — CPT, PE, EMDR, meds, and beyond.
  • 05
    Get HelpVeterans Crisis Line one tap away from every screen.

Calm by design

No aggressive notifications, no accounts, no data leaving your phone. Respects Reduce Motion and Dynamic Type.

Service and Recover home screen with treatment pathways and Get Help button
Home & pathways
7-step Stanley-Brown safety plan builder
Safety plan
PTSD treatment pathway with CPT, PE, and EMDR explained
PTSD pathway
Paced breathing exercise with box breathing pattern
Paced breathing
Appointment preparation checklist and notes
Appointment prep

How veterans and families use it

Three ways in, depending on what today looks like.

Learning

Understand the options

Plain-language pathways for PTSD, depression, sleep, and chronic pain — what CPT, PE, EMDR, medications, rTMS, ketamine, and SGB actually are, without jargon or hype. The app tracks what you've read so you can pick back up.

Preparing

Walk in ready

Build your appointment prep: check off topics, note what's been hard, list medications, and write your questions. Share it with your provider only when you choose to — through the iOS share sheet, on your terms.

Steadying

Have a plan for hard moments

A personal 7-step safety plan based on the Stanley-Brown model used in VA settings, plus paced breathing for right now. And from every single screen, the Veterans Crisis Line is one tap away.

Guides for veterans & families

Physician-reviewed, plain-language answers — written for the person searching at midnight, whether that's the veteran or someone who loves one.

PTSD

PTSD Treatment Options for Veterans

The full map — trauma-focused therapies, medications, and what exists when those aren't enough.

 Comparison

CPT vs. Prolonged Exposure vs. EMDR

The three gold-standard PTSD therapies compared honestly — how each works and how to choose.

 Safety

What Is a Safety Plan?

The 7-step Stanley-Brown plan used in VA settings — what it is, why it works, and how to build one.

 Breathing

Box Breathing & 4-7-8: Tactical Calm

Why paced breathing works on the nervous system, and how to use the patterns the military teaches.

 Families

How to Help a Veteran with PTSD

For spouses, parents, and friends — what helps, what backfires, and how to protect your own wellbeing.

 Appointments

Preparing for a VA Mental Health Appointment

A physician's checklist for making a short appointment actually move your care forward.

 Sleep

Why Veterans Can't Sleep — and What Helps

Hypervigilance, nightmares, and insomnia after service: what's happening and the treatments that work.

 Beyond meds

Beyond Medication: rTMS, Ketamine & SGB

The interventional options for veterans when first-line treatment hasn't worked — explained by an anesthesiologist.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main PTSD treatments for veterans?
The strongest evidence supports trauma-focused therapies — CPT, Prolonged Exposure, and EMDR — alongside medications, with interventional options like rTMS, ketamine, and SGB for cases that don't respond. Learn more →
What's the difference between CPT, Prolonged Exposure, and EMDR?
CPT works on beliefs formed around the trauma, PE works by safely revisiting avoided memories and situations, and EMDR pairs memory recall with bilateral stimulation. All three are effective. Learn more →
What is a safety plan?
A short, personalized plan written in advance that walks you through hard moments step by step — from recognizing warning signs to reaching crisis support. The VA uses the 7-step Stanley-Brown model. Learn more →
How does box breathing work?
Equal counts of inhale, hold, exhale, hold. Slow, structured breathing engages the parasympathetic nervous system and down-shifts the stress response — it's the same "tactical breathing" taught in the military. Learn more →
How can I help a veteran with PTSD?
Learn what the symptoms actually are, don't pressure them to relive the trauma, encourage care without ultimatums, keep the Veterans Crisis Line handy, and protect your own wellbeing too. Learn more →
How do I prepare for a VA mental health appointment?
Write it down before you go: main concerns, what's been hardest, current medications, and your questions. A written summary makes a short appointment far more productive. Learn more →
Why do so many veterans have sleep problems?
Service trains the nervous system for vigilance, and it doesn't stand down automatically. Hyperarousal, nightmares, and pain all feed insomnia — and specific, effective treatments exist. Learn more →
What options exist beyond medication?
rTMS, ketamine and esketamine, stellate ganglion block, and vagus nerve stimulation approaches — typically considered when first-line treatment hasn't worked. Learn more →

Free. Private. Built for the people who served.

No account, no data collected, no subscription — a calm companion for veterans, families, and supporters, with the Veterans Crisis Line one tap away from every screen.

Download Service & Recover — Free

Mind Relief: Service & Recover is an educational companion, not therapy or medical advice. It does not replace professional care and is not a diagnostic or crisis service. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. Veterans and their supporters can reach the Veterans Crisis Line anytime: call 988 then press 1, or text 838255.