MUSKEGON, Mich. — A Muskegon Heights woman who spent 20 years serving in the U.S. Army and the Michigan Army National Guard has opened her own mental health practice, with a focus on those who have worn the uniform.
WATCH: From serving our country to serving neighbors, veteran opens mental health practice
From serving our country to serving neighbors, vet opens mental health practice
Mitze Alexander served from February 1986 to April 2006, in both Korea and Fort Hood. At her first assignment, she was the only woman in an all-male aviation unit.
“My first duty station in Korea was an all-male unit, an aviation unit,” Alexander said. “There were no barracks for me, so I literally spent most of that year in Korea living in a hotel and catching the bus back and forward to the base.”
Mitze Alexander
Alexander met her husband during her time in service. The two have been married for nearly 40 years.
After retiring from the military, she served as a police officer with the City of Muskegon for seven years before pursuing a bachelor’s degree in social work. She has since opened her own private practice.
Her primary focus is on trauma and grief, bringing a perspective to her clients that many therapists cannot.
“If you have served, then you understand what it’s like to be in a unit, maybe being the only female, or you know, being in the military, and your spouse is in the military, there’s so many different things that occur that a lot of therapists, your normal therapist, wouldn’t understand,” Alexander said.
For Alexander, the work is about changing the conversation around mental health, one person at a time.
“The goal is not to take on the world, but the goal is by each individual, letting them know that it’s okay to be okay and it’s okay to ask for help. Asking for help is a sign of courageousness, not weakness,” Alexander said.
Alexander believes mental health deserves the same attention as physical health.
“It’s just so important that we understand mental health is just as important as your physical health,” Alexander said.
And for her fellow veterans, she has a direct message.
“Thank you for your service, thank you for your time, and if you’re out there and you’re experiencing something that you need help with, please reach out,” Alexander said.
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