You shouldn't have to choose between your mental health and your career.

• Working with a security clearance can come with unique pressures—high-stakes responsibilities, demanding workloads, trauma exposure, and the expectation to remain resilient.

  If you've been thinking about therapy but worry that seeking mental health care could affect your security clearance, you're not alone.

  Here's what SEAD-4 says:

  “No negative inference concerning the standards in this guideline may be raised solely on the basis of mental health counseling.”

  — Security Executive Agent Directive 4 (SEAD 4), Guideline I — Psychological Conditions

According to the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), there are no disqualifying mental-health conditions or treatments for a security clearance.

DCSA also recognizes that seeking appropriate mental-health care can contribute favorably to a security-clearance determination.

• Seeking counseling does not, by itself, mean you will lose or jeopardize your security clearance. Federal security-clearance decisions consider the individual's overall circumstances, including judgment, reliability, stability, behavior, treatment compliance, and other relevant factors.

  Get the support you deserve.

  At KENTALA BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, we provide confidential, professional mental health care for federal employees navigating:

  Anxiety • Depression • Stress • Burnout • Trauma • Sleep Difficulties • Relationship Challenges • Life Transitions

  You work hard protecting and serving others. It's okay to take care of yourself, too.

  Confidential. Professional. Judgment-Free.

  Take the first step toward feeling better.

  This information is for educational purposes only and is not legal, employment, or security-clearance advice. Security-clearance determinations are made by the appropriate federal authority based on the individual's circumstances.