Most veterans know about VA healthcare for their service-connected conditions. Far fewer know about the VA Whole Health Program — and what it offers is remarkable: free acupuncture, chiropractic care, therapeutic massage, yoga, mindfulness, tai chi, biofeedback, nutrition counseling, and one-on-one Whole Health Coaching. All of it available to every veteran already enrolled in VA healthcare. No additional application. No referral required for most services. No copay for the vast majority of participants. The program is authorized under 38 USC 1701 (VA's core medical services authority), 38 CFR 17.38 (eligibility for VA medical care), and expanded dramatically by Public Law 113-146 (the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act). And the evidence base — particularly for PTSD, chronic pain, and depression — is substantial. This guide explains exactly what Whole Health offers, what the research shows, and how to get started at your VA Medical Center today.
The VA Whole Health program is the Department of Veterans Affairs' most comprehensive departure from the traditional disease-management model of care. Rather than organizing healthcare around diagnoses and treatments alone, Whole Health organizes it around the veteran as a whole person — asking not just "What is wrong with you?" but "What matters to you?" and "What does a good life look and feel like for you?"
This philosophy is not mere wellness marketing. It is grounded in decades of research showing that physical health, mental health, purpose, relationships, and social connection are interdependent — that treating pain without addressing the anxiety driving it, or treating depression without addressing the social isolation maintaining it, produces worse outcomes than addressing the whole picture together. Whole Health operationalizes this insight into a structured set of programs available to millions of enrolled veterans.
38 USC 1701 is the foundational statute authorizing VA to provide medical, surgical, dental, and related care to eligible veterans. The broad scope of "related care" in this statute is what allows VA to provide complementary and integrative health services — from acupuncture to biofeedback — as part of the core healthcare benefit rather than as an optional add-on.
38 CFR 17.38 establishes the eligibility criteria for VA medical care and defines the medical benefits package available to enrolled veterans. Whole Health services are offered within this medical benefits package, meaning they are subject to the same eligibility and copay rules as other VA healthcare services — most Whole Health services are free to Priority Groups 1–6.
Public Law 113-146, the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACAA), while primarily known for expanding community care access, also included provisions directing VA to improve veteran-centered care and expand access to mental health and wellness services. VACAA's broader mandate for comprehensive, accessible veteran-centered healthcare created the institutional pressure and funding environment that allowed Whole Health to expand from a handful of pilot sites in 2011 to a system-wide requirement by 2018.
VA's Whole Health system became a mandatory program at every VA Medical Center in the country starting in 2018. Every VAMC is required to have a Whole Health coordinator, offer the introductory Whole Health pathway, provide access to Whole Health Coaching, and offer at least a minimum set of complementary and integrative health services. The specific services available vary by facility, but no VAMC can opt out of Whole Health entirely.
The VA Whole Health system is organized into three interconnected pathways, each representing a different level of engagement and a different entry point:
Introductory experience — "Taking Charge of My Life and Health" classes and orientation to Whole Health. Where most veterans start. Typically 2–4 group sessions.
Ongoing complementary and integrative health (CIH) services: acupuncture, yoga, massage, tai chi, meditation, chiropractic, biofeedback. Available continuously once enrolled.
Individual work with a Whole Health Coach using your Personal Health Inventory (PHI) and Personal Health Plan (PHP). The most intensive, individualized tier.
The three pathways are not sequential checkboxes — veterans can enter at any point and move between pathways based on their needs and interests. A veteran with chronic back pain might start directly with chiropractic and yoga through the Well-Being Programs without taking The Pathway's introductory classes first. A veteran exploring what Whole Health is about might start with The Pathway and then choose specific services afterward. A veteran wanting the most personalized approach might go directly to Whole Health Coaching and develop a Personal Health Plan from day one. The program meets veterans where they are.
VA Whole Health's Well-Being Programs include a range of evidence-based complementary and integrative health (CIH) services. Here is what is typically available at most VA Medical Centers:
Traditional and auricular (ear) acupuncture for pain, PTSD, insomnia, and anxiety. Auricular acupuncture is available at most VAMCs.
Spinal manipulation and mobilization for musculoskeletal pain. Available at most large VAMCs; community referral for smaller facilities.
Clinical massage therapy for pain, muscle tension, stress, and PTSD-related hyperarousal. Typically scheduled through Whole Health coordination.
Adaptive yoga and trauma-sensitive yoga classes designed specifically for veterans, including chair-based options for limited mobility.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness-based interventions for PTSD, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.
Mind-body movement practices for balance, pain, stress reduction, and cognitive health. Group classes available at most VAMCs.
Technology-assisted self-regulation training for chronic pain, anxiety, PTSD-related hyperarousal, and stress management.
Individualized and group nutrition counseling for weight management, diabetes, cardiovascular risk, anti-inflammatory diets for chronic pain.
One-on-one coaching sessions with a trained Whole Health Coach to develop and implement your Personal Health Plan.
Structured relaxation and imagery techniques for stress, anxiety, pain, and sleep improvement.
Group and individual programs addressing sleep disorders common in veterans — including insomnia and sleep disruption related to PTSD.
Evidence-based aromatherapy for anxiety, nausea, and procedural distress. Available at select VAMCs.
Not every VA Medical Center offers every service on this list. Larger urban VAMCs typically have more CIH services on-site; smaller Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) may offer fewer, with referrals to the parent VAMC or to community providers through MISSION Act community care. Call your facility's Whole Health coordinator to ask exactly what is available and what the wait times are. The wait times for popular services like acupuncture and yoga can be several weeks — get on the schedule early.
Whole Health Coaching is the personalized, one-on-one element of the Whole Health program. A Whole Health Coach is a trained VA staff member — often a nurse, social worker, or health educator — who has completed specialized coaching certification. Unlike a therapist or physician, the coach does not treat illness or prescribe — they help you identify what you want for your health and life, set specific goals, remove barriers, and build sustainable habits.
Coaching sessions are typically 30–60 minutes, conducted in person or by telehealth. The coach begins by reviewing your Personal Health Inventory (PHI) with you and helping you identify the areas of your life where you want to focus. They use motivational interviewing techniques — open-ended questions, active listening, reflection — to help you articulate your own goals rather than imposing an agenda. The coach then works with you to develop specific, achievable action steps toward those goals, and follows up at subsequent sessions to assess progress and problem-solve obstacles.
Whole Health Coaching is not psychotherapy, counseling, or clinical treatment for mental health conditions. If you have PTSD, depression, or another diagnosed mental health condition, Whole Health Coaching complements your clinical treatment but does not replace it. Coaches are not authorized to diagnose, treat, or prescribe — if clinical needs emerge during coaching, the coach will refer you back to your clinical team.
Ask your primary care team for a referral to Whole Health Coaching, or contact your facility's Whole Health coordinator directly. Coaching is available in person, by phone, and by VA Video Connect (VA's telehealth platform). Many VAMCs offer both individual coaching and group coaching programs on specific topics — nutrition, sleep, stress management, physical activity.
At the heart of personalized Whole Health engagement are two documents that help you articulate who you are, what matters to you, and how you want to approach your health:
The Personal Health Inventory is a reflective self-assessment that typically takes 15–30 minutes to complete. It asks you to rate your current wellbeing and set goals across eight areas that Whole Health identifies as the components of health:
The PHI also includes a core question that Whole Health considers foundational: What really matters to you in your life? and What brings you a sense of wellbeing? These questions are deliberately open — the goal is to ground your healthcare in your own definition of a good life, not a clinician's definition of optimal health metrics.
You can download and complete the PHI online at va.gov/WHOLEHEALTH, or complete it with guidance from your Whole Health Coach or primary care provider.
The Personal Health Plan is developed from your PHI, typically with a Whole Health Coach or primary care provider. It translates your priorities and goals into specific, actionable commitments — what you will do, how often, with what support, and how you will track progress. The PHP is a living document, reviewed and updated at regular coaching sessions or primary care appointments. It is not a prescription — it is your plan, in your words, toward your goals.
Your Personal Health Plan and the clinical documentation generated during Whole Health participation can be valuable evidence for a VA disability claim. If your PHI and PHP document limitations in daily functioning caused by service-connected conditions — pain that limits movement, PTSD that disrupts sleep and relationships, TBI symptoms affecting concentration — this documentation supports both your disability rating and any future claim for increased rating. Ask your Whole Health team to ensure that the clinical record captures functional limitations comprehensively.
VA Whole Health includes a peer support component through the Whole Health Partners program. Whole Health Partners are veterans who have engaged with the Whole Health program and have been trained as peer supporters to help other veterans navigate and benefit from Whole Health services.
Like peer support specialists in mental health programs, Whole Health Partners bring something clinical staff cannot: lived experience. A Whole Health Partner who has used yoga and mindfulness to manage their own combat-related PTSD can speak to a skeptical veteran in ways that carry a different kind of authority than a clinician's recommendation. They can share what specific services helped them, what did not, how to get past the initial awkwardness of a meditation class as a veteran, and what to say to your skeptical buddy who needs Whole Health but won't admit it.
Ask your Whole Health coordinator whether your facility has an active Whole Health Partners program and how to connect with a partner. Some VAMCs integrate Whole Health Partners into the introductory pathway classes; others offer them as an optional supplement to individual coaching.
The VA Whole Health program is not built on wellness ideology alone — it is built on a growing evidence base for the specific conditions that most commonly bring veterans to VA healthcare. Here is what the research shows for the conditions veterans are most likely to encounter:
Chronic pain is among the most prevalent conditions in the veteran population, affecting an estimated 40–60% of veterans who use VA healthcare. Multiple Whole Health interventions show clinical benefit for chronic pain:
PTSD affects an estimated 20% of post-9/11 veterans and is one of the most common conditions driving veteran engagement with VA mental health. Whole Health interventions with the strongest PTSD evidence include:
| Intervention | Evidence Summary | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness / MBSR | Multiple RCTs show MBSR reduces PTSD symptom severity; one VA-funded study found MBSR comparable to Prolonged Exposure for PTSD severity reduction at 4 months | Reduces hyperarousal, improves emotional regulation and present-moment awareness |
| Yoga | Trauma-sensitive yoga RCTs show significant reduction in PTSD symptoms, particularly in women; improvements in sleep and emotional regulation | Somatic processing of trauma; reduces physiological hyperarousal; improves body awareness |
| Acupuncture | Multiple studies show acupuncture reduces PTSD symptom severity and comorbid pain; 2014 Medical Acupuncture RCT showed significant reductions in PCL scores vs. wait-list control | Modulates autonomic nervous system response; reduces hyperarousal; analgesic effects on comorbid pain |
| Biofeedback | Heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback shows benefit for PTSD-related hyperarousal and anxiety; helps veterans gain voluntary control over physiological stress response | Trains autonomic regulation; reduces sympathetic nervous system dominance in PTSD |
Depression is highly comorbid with PTSD and chronic pain in the veteran population. Whole Health interventions with the best evidence for depression include:
A 2020 study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine compared veterans who participated in VA Whole Health programs with a matched control group receiving standard VA care. Whole Health participants showed statistically significant improvements in:
Critically, these improvements were observed in addition to standard VA clinical care — suggesting that Whole Health services add measurable benefit over and above what VA's conventional treatment alone provides.
VA Whole Health eligibility flows directly from VA healthcare enrollment eligibility under 38 CFR 17.38. The key principle: if you are enrolled in VA healthcare, you are eligible for Whole Health services. There is no separate application. No additional eligibility review. No service-connected disability rating requirement.
To be enrolled in VA healthcare (and thus access Whole Health), you generally need to have served in the active military, Naval, or Air Service and been discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. Most veterans with at least minimal active duty service can enroll, though Priority Groups determine copay requirements. Key enrollment categories include:
Priority Groups 1–6 generally receive VA care with no copay or reduced copays. Priority Groups 7–8 may have copays for some services. Most Whole Health services — yoga classes, meditation groups, Whole Health Coaching, group programs — are available without copay to most enrolled veterans. Chiropractic and some clinical services may have standard VA copay rules. Your VA healthcare eligibility specialist can clarify your specific copay situation.
If you have not enrolled in VA healthcare, you can apply online at va.gov/health-care/apply, by phone at 1-800-827-1000, or in person at your local VA Medical Center. The enrollment process is separate from the disability compensation claims process — you do not need to have a disability rating to enroll in VA healthcare. Many veterans wait years to enroll and miss out on benefits including Whole Health that they were entitled to all along. Enroll now.
Many Whole Health services are now available through VA's telehealth platform, VA Video Connect. Whole Health Coaching, guided imagery, mindfulness groups, nutrition counseling, and other services are offered virtually — making them accessible to veterans in rural areas, veterans with mobility limitations, and anyone who prefers remote access. Ask your Whole Health coordinator which services are available via telehealth at your facility.
VA Whole Health has continued to expand in 2026 in several notable directions:
VA has significantly expanded its acupuncture capacity, training hundreds of additional VA clinicians in auricular (Battlefield) acupuncture and increasing the availability of traditional acupuncture at facilities where it was previously limited. Acupuncture is now explicitly included in VA's non-pharmacological pain management priority framework, reflecting the broader push to reduce opioid prescribing through evidence-based alternatives.
VA has accelerated the formal integration of Whole Health services with mental health treatment. In 2026, veterans receiving treatment for PTSD, depression, or anxiety at most VAMCs can now receive Whole Health program referrals as part of their mental health treatment plan — rather than having to navigate two separate systems. This integration reduces the friction for veterans who most need Whole Health's complementary services.
The list of Whole Health services available via VA Video Connect has expanded significantly, following the pandemic-era push to develop telehealth infrastructure. In 2026, most group Whole Health programs — yoga, mindfulness, tai chi, nutrition classes, sleep hygiene programs — are available in both in-person and virtual formats at most VAMCs.
VA is expanding community partnerships that allow VA Whole Health participants to access services at local YMCA facilities, yoga studios, and wellness centers under MISSION Act community care provisions when those services are not available on-campus. Ask your Whole Health coordinator whether community partnerships exist in your area.
While Whole Health is available to all enrolled veterans regardless of diagnosis, the program is particularly beneficial — and the evidence particularly strong — for veterans with the following conditions:
The conditions Whole Health helps manage — PTSD, chronic pain, TBI, sleep disorders — are often ratable service-connected disabilities. If you're using Whole Health but haven't filed a VA disability claim, you may be leaving significant compensation on the table.
Get a Free Claim Review →VA Whole Health is the Department of Veterans Affairs' comprehensive approach to veteran wellbeing under 38 USC 1701, 38 CFR 17.38, and Public Law 113-146. It offers free complementary and integrative health services — acupuncture, chiropractic, yoga, massage, meditation, tai chi, biofeedback, nutrition counseling, and Whole Health Coaching — to all enrolled veterans. The program became mandatory at every VA Medical Center in 2018 and has served millions of veterans.
Any veteran enrolled in VA healthcare is eligible. No service-connected disability rating is required. No separate application is needed. If you're enrolled in VA healthcare, you can access Whole Health — contact your VAMC's Whole Health coordinator to get started. If you're not yet enrolled, apply at va.gov/health-care/apply.
Available services include acupuncture (auricular and traditional), chiropractic, therapeutic massage, yoga, mindfulness/MBSR, tai chi and qigong, biofeedback, nutrition counseling, guided imagery, sleep hygiene programs, and clinical aromatherapy. Service availability varies by facility — call your VAMC's Whole Health coordinator for the specific menu at your location.
The Personal Health Inventory (PHI) is a 15–30 minute self-reflection tool that helps you identify what matters most in your life and set health goals across eight areas: movement, surroundings, personal development, food and drink, rest/recharge, relationships, spirit and purpose, and professional care. It is the starting point for personalized Whole Health participation and forms the basis for your Personal Health Plan (PHP). Download it at va.gov/WHOLEHEALTH.
Yes. For PTSD: mindfulness, yoga, acupuncture, and biofeedback all have evidence of benefit for reducing symptom severity. For chronic pain: acupuncture, chiropractic, tai chi, and yoga show clinical benefit across multiple studies. A 2020 study found VA Whole Health participants showed significantly better outcomes in pain, PTSD, depression, and quality of life compared to veterans receiving standard VA care only.
(1) Confirm you're enrolled in VA healthcare. (2) Call your VA Medical Center and ask for the Whole Health coordinator. (3) Complete the Personal Health Inventory (PHI). (4) Attend the introductory Whole Health class. (5) Schedule Whole Health Coaching. (6) Sign up for specific services like yoga, acupuncture, or tai chi based on your interests and needs. Many services are also available via VA Video Connect telehealth.