As of 08/01/2023, I am currently accepting new clients with evening and weekend availability.
As of 08/01/2023, I am currently accepting new clients with evening and some weekend availability. To schedule a 5-10 min consult, please click the appointment button below or text 314-246-0480.
You’re not going to find a $600 medical records check fee here. I’m not here to take advantage of your situation. My fee is simple. No BS. No holding “fancy” degrees over your head. Let’s work together and get your VA Nexus Letter for PTSD today!
I'm a graduate of Webster University with a masters in Clinical Counseling and I'm a National Certified Counselor. I have over 10 years of experience working within the mental health field and have a passion for helping people reach their goals.
Enlitens was created so that I could have a platform to provide affordable mental health services to those who are in need. We have over a decade in mental health including crisis intervention and working with neurodivergent individuals. We are mental health nerds who strive to incorporate “nerd” and “pop” culture in a way that modernizes mental health.
First, I want have a short 5-10 min chat where we discuss your situation. This way I can understand better how best to help you.
Here we will spend roughly an hour doing a clinical interview where we discuss your medical history and asses your symptoms using the DSM-5-TR.
Once I've completed a review of your medical records and the notes from our conversation, I will draft a nexus letter. We will spend roughly 30 minutes to an hour going over it's contents and the assessment.
Now it’s time for you to submit your nexus letter along with the rest of your evidence. After this step, it’s in the hands of the deciders. It’s ok though I still have your back. If you have any issues with your nexus letter and the VA, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me through text, phone, or email. If you are in need of additional support and resources I will do my very best to help you. Let’s fight this together.
VA Nexus Letter for PTSD. VA will pay disability compensation to a veteran if he proves his disability is related to military service. As part of the process, VA uses disability nexus letters to figure out whether a disability was caused or aggravated during service. If the answer is “No”, then VA will not pay for that disability.
Not every VA claim needs a nexus letter because in some cases, the link to service is undeniable. For example, if your service records include a diagnosed disability you still suffer from today, then VA would probably grant a claim for that disability without a nexus letter. In claims for certain chronic conditions, VA will concede a relationship to service if there is a diagnosis within 1 year of discharge.
However, what if you don’t have a diagnosis until many years after service? For example, Vietnam veterans with Agent Orange exposure usually don’t develop herbicide-related disabilities (such as diabetes mellitus type II) for several years. The gap from discharge to diagnosis can be even greater with mental health disorders. Many veterans respond to traumatic in-service events by trying to cope on their own. Coping mechanisms include self-medication with drugs or alcohol, avoidance of medical treatment, and withdrawal from social situations. When the symptoms get much worse and they finally seek mental health treatment, a doctor renders a diagnosis of PTSD. To win this kind of claim, a strong disability nexus letter for PTSD is essential.
Only a medical professional with the appropriate medical training should write a disability nexus letter. The VA will find a disability nexus letter more persuasive if written by a professional in the relevant specialty. For mental health disorders such as PTSD, a licensed counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist would be ideal.
VA will only accept a disability nexus letter if it meets certain requirements. A strong disability nexus letter for PTSD must include:
The medical history from service to the present day is especially relevant to what caused PTSD. Even the PTSD diagnosis happens years after service, the onset of the disability can be shown in service records. Let’s say a veteran claims that racial harassment during service caused a persistent PTSD disability. The service medical records don’t show treatment for PTSD. However, the personnel records showed a drastic change in behavior 5 months prior to discharge. His first 5 years of service included multiple commendations for performance. In the last 5 months, he received multiple Article 15 punishments. A good disability nexus letter would consider whether the sudden behavioral change marked the onset of PTSD.
The burden is on the veteran to prove his claim. However, the standard of proof is much lower than in a criminal case. The counselor who writes the nexus letter does not have to be 100% sure of the link. Because this is a veteran-friendly system, VA requires at least 50% certainty. If your counselor finds there is at least a 50/50 chance that your PTSD is related to service, then that is enough to win. In other words, a good disability nexus letter states that it is “at least as likely as not” that the disability is related to service. A strong nexus letter would express “more likely than not” certainty.
A counselor is more likely to write a good disability nexus letter if PTSD clearly existed from service to the present day. You can improve your odds by giving your counselor any of the following:
When requesting a VA Nexus Letter for PTSD, it’s best if you not only come prepared but come ready to share the details. The details matter, when we can gather a clear picture of your time in service and current symptoms, we have a greater chance of finding the link between PTSD and your time in service. Everything we talk about is confidential and your private information is always protected. We take HIPPA compliance very seriously.
In a disability nexus letter for PTSD, 80% of the value comes from the counselor’s reasoning. If the letter only contains data and conclusions, then it won’t help the case. At a minimum, the reasoning must be clear, concise and supported by valid medical analysis.
For example, let’s say you are seeking a medical nexus letter for PTSD. After reviewing your medical history, your counselor agrees that “it is at least as likely as not that” your PTSD was incurred during your military service. Her medical nexus letter should explain why the in-service symptoms and the post-service diagnosis matters. It should also cite any medical literature that supports her opinion. If there was any post-service trauma, she should explain how it only made the existing PTSD worse.
One thing I strive to do is be transparent; with that, I'm not going to make you jump through a bunch of hoops to know what to expect working with me. If you're looking for a NEXUS letter to cover how your daily life may be impacted by PTSD symptoms it's gonna take about 3 hours of our time and $300 flat. That's $300 for the NEXUS letter and all the records review, clinical interviewing, and documentation time I spend on it. Overall I usually only need you for about 1 - 1.5 hours for the clinical interview and then about 30-45 minutes to review the assessment and go over the NEXUS letter. I spend about an hour and a half reviewing the assessment, your records, and relevant case studies in support of your NEXUS letter. The thing is I have no guarantee this letter will impact the VA's decision in your claim so I don't want you to have to throw thousands of dollars at it; I'm just using my hourly rate that covers my time and all that fancy schooling I had to do to get the credentials needed to be a qualified mental health professional.
In mental health, we use this fancy book called the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” or the “DSM.” Right now we are on the 5th version of this so people usually say DSM-5 (or DSM-5 TR since they revised some of the text). Basically, it’s a giant book that lists symptoms and criteria for a mental health professional to say “yup you have this diagnosis.” Usually as a mental health professional people will use different types of assessments to see how you meet the criteria; I personally use an assessment the Veteran’s Administration developed that looks at each criteria and really dives into if you meet the criteria or not.
Nope. Any exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence can lead to a PTSD diagnosis. Unfortunately, we know this can happen outside of a deployment as well.
Ahh my biggest pet peeve…the standard “everyone with PTSD has these triggering memories and acts out” stereotype. Rememer when I said we use a giant book to see which criteria you meet to say you meet diagnostic standards? Flashbacks and memories are two of MANY symptoms. Also on that list are avoiding things and people (even if they aren’t tied to the event), memory difficulties, negative beliefs about yourself, others or the world, anger, feeling detached from others, sleep difficulties….see the point. There’s a lot. You can 100% have a PTSD diagnosis and never have one flashback or nightmare about the event.
1. I’m a mental health nerd that wants to be sure that everyone has their mental health needs met. 2. I have a lot of veterans in my life who have gone through the same process of having to prove to the VA that they deserve the benefits they have earned. If I can put some stuff on a website or spend 2-3 hours with someone to help them get the things they need I want to do that.
© Enlitens | Under the supervision of Sandra Davis LPC MO License Number 2007002474
If you’re struggling emotionally and need to talk to someone, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, I can’t be with you 24/7. It may take me a few hours or even a day to respond to you since Enlitens doesn’t do crisis management. Feel free to call me or schedule an appointment but if you need something right now try one of these resources.
Call 24/7 for a free, confidential conversation with a trained counselor.
Call 800-273-TALK (8255)
Have a free, confidential chat with a trained counselor. Available 24/7.
Text ACTION to 741-741
All resources are free, confidential and most are available 24/7.
Behavioral Health Response provides crisis support, telephone counseling, and mental health resources 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Mercy Behavioral Health offers free, confidential evaluations for anyone who has a concern about a psychiatric, behavioral or addictive disorder. Evaluations, as well as referrals to physicians or community resources, are available 24 hours a day.
A one-of-a-kind collaboration with multiple St. Louis area community partners, this new service brings together SSM’s behavioral health team and the comprehensive support of local mental health resources.
Located on the SSM Health DePaul Hospital Campus | Use parking lot #8 on DePaul Drive
The Military Crisis Line is a free, confidential resource for all service members, including members of the National Guard and Reserve, and Veterans, even if they’re not enrolled in VA benefits or health care.
A safe, judgement free support service for LGBTQ and questioning youth who are struggling or thinking about suicide. Available 24/7
Their advocates are here to listen without judgment and help you begin to address what’s going on in your relationship. Their services are always free and available 24/7.
If you’re struggling emotionally and need to talk to someone, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, I can’t be with you 24/7. It may take me a few hours or even a day to respond to you since Enlitens doesn’t do crisis management. Feel free to call me or schedule an appointment but if you need something right now try one of these resources.
Call 24/7 for a free, confidential conversation with a trained counselor.
Have a free, confidential chat with a trained counselor. Available 24/7.
Text ACTION to 741-741
All resources are free, confidential and most are available 24/7.
Behavioral Health Response provides crisis support, telephone counseling, and mental health resources 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Mercy Behavioral Health offers free, confidential evaluations for anyone who has a concern about a psychiatric, behavioral or addictive disorder. Evaluations, as well as referrals to physicians or community resources, are available 24 hours a day.
A one-of-a-kind collaboration with multiple St. Louis area community partners, this new service brings together SSM’s behavioral health team and the comprehensive support of local mental health resources.
Located on the SSM Health DePaul Hospital Campus | Use parking lot #8 on DePaul Drive
The Military Crisis Line is a free, confidential resource for all service members, including members of the National Guard and Reserve, and Veterans, even if they’re not enrolled in VA benefits or health care.
A safe, judgement free support service for LGBTQ and questioning youth who are struggling or thinking about suicide. Available 24/7
Their advocates are here to listen without judgment and help you begin to address what’s going on in your relationship. Their services are always free and available 24/7.
