Knoxville Vet Center
We offer confidential help for Veterans, service members, and their families at no cost in a non-medical setting. Our services include counseling for needs such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the psychological effects of military sexual trauma (MST). We can also connect you with more support in VA and your community.
Locations and contact information
Main Location
Direct line
Hours
- Mon. 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Tue. 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Wed. 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Thu. 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Fri. 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Sat. Closed
- Sun. Closed
Other locations
Vet Centers are community based to be more accessible in areas where you live.
We also have non-traditional hours that change periodically given our community’s needs. Please call us to find out more.
Need help after hours?
Our call center is available 24/7. Call us anytime at 877-927-8387.
Prepare for your visit
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First time visitors
First-time visitor? Give us a call and let's discuss any questions you might have. Call 865-633-0000 to schedule an appointment with one of our counselors.
Intake visit
After your initial contact with us, the Vet Center Director will work to match you with a counselor. You can expect a return call within 1 to 2 business days, and we will schedule your first appointment within 2 to 10 business days. Anyone in crisis will have their needs addressed immediately.
Cancelling or rescheduling an appointment
If you know you'll miss an appointment, please notify us as soon as possible so we can reschedule your appointment and we will make that time available for another Veteran or service member.
You can call us anytime during our posted hours of operation. If you need to call outside of those times, on weekends, or holidays, the Vet Center Call Center is available 24/7 at 877-927-8737. Calling our main line after hours will automatically send you to the Vet Center Call Center.
Enter the Downtown West Shopping Plaza, and we're located in the 1645 Building Suite #28.
We have a large well-lit parking area. Please feel free to park in any available space.
We're accessible through Knoxville Area Transit (KAT). If you're taking the KAT bus, you can plan your trip on their site.
You don’t need to be registered for care at VA, rated for a service-connected disability, or receiving any other form of VA benefits. On your first visit, we’ll check for one or more of the following:
- Discharge documents (such as a DD214)
- Receipt of certain awards
- Deployment orders
- Other documents that show qualifying military service
Request your military service records online
If you don’t have these documents on hand, come in and we can work with you to establish your eligibility and answer any questions you might have.
In the spotlight
New Vet Centers and Satellite Locations Announced
To improve access to counseling, we are adding three Vet Centers and six satellite locations across the US and its territories. We will continue to expand our program to meet Veteran demand and provide local support to those who served.
Groups
We currently offer six groups- Vietnam Veterans, Combat Veterans, Women Veterans, Men's PTSD (combat-related), Spouse Support, and MST Survivors. Please contact us at
Counseling services
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We offer couples and family counseling to support you as you work toward meeting your goals.
We have licensed therapists who can provide services such as:
- Individual counseling for couples, spouses, children and significant others
- Couples counseling
If someone close to you has died or you’re adjusting to a difficult life change, we’re here to support you.
We support Gold Star families. We offer grief and bereavement counseling if your service member died while serving on active duty.
We can help get you connect to the Veterans Benefits Administration, National Cemetery Administration, and navigate burial and survivor benefits using the Planning Your Legacy Toolkit.
Download VA’s toolkit for burial benefits and pre-planning information (PDF)
If you’re struggling with issues like PTSD, depression, grief, anger, or trauma, we offer counseling and other support. We’ll work with you to help you achieve your personal goals.
We offer individual and group counseling. We also provide referral services to appropriate resources in our community.
Care at our center includes:
- One-on-one hour-long counseling sessions targeted at your individual needs
Evidence-based therapies such as:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Family Therapy
Our specialty groups include:
- Vietnam Combat Veterans
- OEF/OIF groups
- Combat Veteran (era integrated)
- Military Sexual Trauma (MST group)
A counselor referral is required before attending a group.
If you experienced sexual assault or harassment during military service, we can help you get the counseling you need. Any Veteran or service member, including members of the National Guard and Reserve forces, who experienced military sexual trauma is eligible to receive counseling. This applies to people of all genders from any service era.
We offer individual and group counseling for those who have experienced military sexual trauma. We currently have both male and female counselors that can help.
If interested, please contact the Vet Center at 865-633-0000.
If you have symptoms of PTSD after a traumatic event, we can help. We offer assessment and support through private counseling and group therapy. We can also refer you to VA or community counseling for treatment and therapy resources.
We offer individual and group counseling. This includes care for:
- Anger management
- Stress management
- Activity engagement
And we use evidence-based therapies such as:
- Prolonged Exposure (PE). This teaches you to gradually approach trauma-related memories, feelings, and situations that you have been avoiding since your trauma. By confronting these challenges, you can actually decrease your PTSD symptoms.
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). This teaches you how to evaluate and change the upsetting thoughts you have had since your trauma. By changing your thoughts, you can change how you feel.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This helps people learn how to identify and change the destructive or disturbing thought patterns that have a negative influence on their behavior and emotions.
We currently have a PTSD group that meets weekly. If you're interested, please contact us at 865-633-0000.
If you’re returning from military service, we’ll help you transition to civilian life. We can connect you with educational and career counseling, mental health services, and other programs and benefits that will support your transition.
We understand that the transition from military to civilian life can be a challenge. We offer a variety of ways to assist you in that process such as:
- How to get VA medical benefits and register for care
- Where to go to file claims and other forms
- Understanding your VA education benefits
- Housing and home loans
- Education and referral for VA burial benefits
We can also connect you to Veterans Service Organizations in your community.
Whole health puts you—instead of your illnesses or conditions—at the center of care. We’ll work with you to develop a personalized health plan based on your values, needs, and goals.
We have partnered with community organizations to offer therapeutic activities such as:
If you’re a woman Veteran transitioning to civilian life, we can help you find counseling, support, and referral services to meet your specific needs.
Referral services
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We can help you overcome substance use problems, from unhealthy alcohol use to life-threatening addiction. We'll connect you to services for your specific needs.
We offer individual counseling to help with addiction and substance use. We’re also able to refer you to our VA Medical Center and one of our community partners.
If you’re homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, we can help you connect with resources in your community.
Call the VA National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at
Findhelp has information about financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, and other free or reduced-cost help.
Call our Veterans Crisis Line at 988 and press 1 to get support anytime day or night. This service is private, free, and available 24/7. Our Vet Center can also connect you with ongoing counseling and services.
We can help connect you to VA and community resources that will support you in achieving your goals.
We understand that the transition from military to civilian life can be a challenge. We offer a variety of ways to assist you in that process such as:
- How to get VA medical benefits and register for care
- Where to go to file claims and other forms
- Understanding your VA education benefits
- Housing and home loans
- Education and referral for VA burial benefits
We can also connect you to Veterans Service Organizations in your community.
Other services
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We provide private organizations and community agencies education on our Veteran community and military culture. Together, we build referral networks to expand support for Veterans, service members, and their families.
We value community partnerships and are intentional about engaging with our local communities regularly.
Established local partners include:
- National Guard and Reserve units
- State universities and community colleges
- Veterans Service Organizations
- Tennessee Department of Veteran Services (TDVS)
- Community legal services
- East Tennessee Military Advisory Council (ETMAC)
We offer secure and confidential individual and group counseling through telehealth. You can schedule a phone or video appointment for Vet Center services.
Busy schedule? Don’t have time to sit in traffic? We get it. We have easy-to-use telehealth platforms that allow us to provide you with our same high-quality services virtually. All you need is a smartphone or similar device, an internet connection, and a private location.
How we’re different than a clinic
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Vet Centers are small, non-medical, counseling centers conveniently located in your community. They’re staffed by highly trained counselors and team members dedicated to seeing you through the challenges that come with managing life during and after the military.
Whether you come in for one-on-one counseling or to participate in a group session, at Vet Centers you can form social connections, try new things, and build a support system with people who understand you and want to help you succeed.
You may be eligible for Vet Center services no matter your discharge status or eligibility for VA health care. And we encourage you to contact us, even if you’re not sure if you’re eligible. If we can’t help you, we’ll find someone who can.
If you’re a Veteran or service member (including National Guard and Reserves), you’re eligible if you meet any of these service requirements:
- You served on active duty in any combat theater or area of hostility, or
- You provided mortuary services or direct emergency medical care to treat the casualties of war while on active duty, or
- You were a member of an unmanned aerial vehicle crew that provided direct support to operations in a combat theater or area of hostility, or
- You served on active duty in response to a national emergency or major disaster declared by the president, or under orders of the governor or chief executive of a state in response to a disaster or civil disorder, or
- You’re a current or former member of the Coast Guard who participated in a drug interdiction operation, or
- You’re a current member of the Reserve Component assigned to a military command in a drill status, including active Reserves, and you need to address a behavioral health condition or psychological trauma that is related to your military service
If you’re a Veteran or service member (including National Guard and Reserves), you’re also eligible for Vet Center services if any of these descriptions is true for you:
- You’re a Vietnam Era Veteran who used Vet Center services before January 2, 2013, or
- You experienced military sexual trauma (no matter your gender or service era), or
- You currently use any covered VA educational assistance benefits
What are the covered educational assistance benefits?
- Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty
- Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve
- Post-9/11 GI Bill
- Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E)
- Veterans’ Educational Assistance Program (VEAP)
Remember: You don’t need to be enrolled in VA health care to be eligible for Vet Center services. You don’t need to have a service-connected disability. And you can have any character of discharge.
You can use our counseling and other support services when your participation would support the growth and goals of the Veteran or service member in your family. If the Veteran or service member considers you family, so do we.
You can also use our bereavement services if any of these descriptions is true for your family:
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The Veteran or service member died while serving on active duty, or
-
The Veteran was using Vet Center services at the time of their death, or
-
The Veteran or service member died by suicide
No. You don’t have to be enrolled in VA health care or have a service-connected disability.
Safe and confidential. Our records can’t be accessed by other VA offices, the DoD, military units, or other community networks and providers without your permission or unless required to avert a life-threatening situation. Here, you can be as open as you want—there’s absolutely no judgment.