Meeting the Challenges
of the First PCS

Moving from one base or duty location to another doesn’t sound much like an ordeal, especially when it is your first. In fact, you may all be all agog with the prospect of living in a new home, having fresh opportunities and meeting potential friends.

If you have made friends in the current station, you are likely to get a lot of help and advices. Try your best not be affected by the negative comments of the bitter ones who have slugged half a dozen or so of PCS moves. Instead, focus on the positive, such as seeking professional assistance to meet the challenges of your first PCS and the succeeding ones.

After Everything Has Been Said and Done

PCS in general can be an emotionally draining experience for everyone. If it’s your first, however, you may get too engrossed in focusing on the physical side of the transfer. You may not notice the pain of saying goodbyes or the worry over the uncertainty of what the future holds. There are important PCS paperwork, legal documents and arrangements to attend to. There are household stuff and personal effects to pack. You might even have a car to ship in advance. If you have pets and children, they too will take your attention.

There will be too many things to preoccupy your mind and your time, there is no time to worry, be angry or to grief. But, once you are already settled in your new home, the pain may come back. If your children are old enough to grieve for what they lost, your hands may be full again. Otherwise, the emotional upheaval takes centerstage in your life. It will be good to heed the advice of your old friends, find help to move on more easily.

Meeting the Challenges in Southern Pines

It is true that PCS brings changes and challenges, just as it brings fresh hope and wonderful opportunities. If you’ll research in advance about your new station in Southern Pines, you may feel excitement taking over your grief and worry. With a licensed counselor/therapist in Southern Pines, you can better handle the rigors of the adjustment and the overwhelming emotions that overwhelm you as you visualize the perceived challenges and potentials in your new neighborhood.

One of the help that you may consider to settle in and be at home in your new environment is calling Carolina Counseling Services – Southern Pines, NC. It independently contracts with therapists/counselors. If you’ll call for an appointment, you will be matched with someone who has gone through real-life PCS and who can support you during this time for the much-needed adjustment.

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