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Honoring Our Veterans

Answering a Call
Pacifica’s Origin Story and Commitment to Service

In the tumultuous 1970s, amidst the Vietnam War and significant societal upheaval, Pacifica Graduate Institute took root in Isla Vista, California. A group of compassionate educators and clinicians recognized a growing need in their community: returning veterans were experiencing trauma and disorientation; families were unraveling under economic and emotional strain; and an entire generation was seeking meaning amidst widespread cultural disruption.

In response, these early founders created a community counseling outreach initiative designed to tend to the soul wounds of war, injustice, and psychological fragmentation. What began as a grassroots effort soon evolved into an academic institution grounded in the values of depth psychology, healing, and social engagement. Pacifica was not simply founded to educate, it was created to care, a mission that continues today.

A Place for Veterans to Heal, Learn, and Lead

At Pacifica, we honor those who have served our country by offering a transformative educational experience designed to support personal healing, foster meaningful academic inquiry, and empower professional growth. Veterans bring unique strengths of resilience, leadership, and discipline, and we aim to help translate those strengths into meaningful careers and personal fulfillment.

Many of our faculty, students, and alumni are veterans or active-duty service members. Our classrooms are enriched by their lived experience, and our programs are structured to support those navigating transitions from military to civilian life. Whether pursuing licensure as a psychologist or counselor, engaging in research, or applying depth psychological insight in leadership roles, veterans find a home at Pacifica.

Health & Wellness Support

Health & Wellness Support

We understand that the transition from military to academic life can bring a range of emotional experiences. At Pacifica, we strive to create a community where all students, including veterans, feel supported, seen, and cared for.

While students are ultimately responsible for their own mental and emotional well-being, we offer pathways to compassionate support when it’s needed. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed or simply need someone to talk to, there are options available.

If you’re in need of immediate support while on campus or in Pacifica housing:

  • Pacifica Emergency Response Team (ERT): (805) 679-6100
  • 24/7 Mental Health Hotline (Holman Group): (800) 321-2843 (please identify yourself as a Pacifica student)
  • Emergency Services: Call 911 if there is any concern for immediate safety

Faculty and staff are here to assist with next steps, whether that means contacting your personal mental health provider, helping you find safe transportation, or simply being present in a moment of distress. Crisis response procedures are posted throughout campus to ensure students always know where to turn.

Pacifica is not only a place of learning, but of healing. We are committed to walking alongside you on this journey with care and respect.

Yellow Ribbon and VA Benefits

Yellow Ribbon and VA Benefits

Pacifica Graduate Institute proudly supports veterans through participation in the Post-9/11 GI Bill® and the Yellow Ribbon Program. We offer a limited number of Yellow Ribbon Scholarships each year for qualifying veterans and their dependents, with additional support matched by the Veterans Administration.

Award amounts vary by program and are applied directly toward tuition and fee charges. Eligibility is on a first-come, first-serve basis and requires submission of a VA Certificate of Eligibility.

For full details on available benefits and application procedures, please visit our website at Pacifica.edu/financial-aid or contact the Financial Aid Office at financial_aid@pacifica.edu.

Dissertation as Service

Dissertation as Service

Pacifica’s doctoral programs include a dissertation process that is not only an academic requirement, but also a form of service. Veterans often use this process to explore personal and collective themes related to their military experience, community healing, trauma integration, and resilience.

Several Pacifica students have also completed dissertations on veterans and the military, including:

Pacifica Faculty, Victoria Stevens, also works with an innovative theater therapy program for Veteran residents and alumni of New Directions for Veterans (NDVets), which acts on the growing evidence of how the arts can play a significant role in supporting Veterans’ recovery from trauma.

These projects contribute meaningfully to the fields of psychology, counseling, and community care, and often serve as a form of personal restoration.

Our Ongoing Commitment

Pacifica’s Ongoing Commitment to Veterans

As we honor the service of our veterans, we also recommit to fostering an educational environment that is not only inclusive and supportive, but deeply attuned to healing and the soul’s profound needs. At Pacifica, we recognize our veteran students as more than learners, they are leaders, storytellers, mentors, and visionaries. Their presence enriches our community, and their journey through Pacifica becomes part of a larger narrative: one of personal transformation, collective healing, and the enduring work of tending soul in and of the world.

If you are a veteran or military-connected prospective student, we invite you to connect with our admissions and financial aid teams. We’re here to help you explore your next chapter.

For additional resources, visit: Pacifica.edu/financial-aid or contact FinancialAid@pacifica.edu

Contact Admissions

Contact an Admissions Advisor!

Pacifica Graduate Institute’s Admissions Advisors are here to assist you every step of the way in the admissions process.
Please reach out to them via phone (call or text) or email with questions or to set up an appointment time.

Pandora Holmes

Executive Admissions Advisor
pholmes@pacifica.edu
805-881-1637

Programs Advised:

  • M.A in Counseling Psychology with Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Clinical Counseling, and Depth Psychology

Katherine Bailey, MBA

Executive Admissions Advisor
kbailey@pacifica.edu
805-881-1638

Programs Advised:

  • Ph.D. in Depth Psychology with Specialization in Integrative Therapy and Healing Practices,
  • M.A in Depth Psychology and Creativity with Emphasis in the Arts and Humanities,
  • M.A/Ph.D in Clinical Psychology with Emphasis in Depth Psychology,
  • Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology with Emphasis in Depth Psychology

Michael Mirabella

Admissions Advisor
mmirabella@pacifica.edu
805-881-1311

Programs Advised:

  • MA/PhD in Depth Psychology with Specialization in Jungian and Archetypal Studies,
  • MA/PhD in Psychology, Religion, and Consciousness,
  • M.A/Ph.D in Depth Psychology with Specialization in Community, Liberation, Indigenous, and Eco-Psychologies,
  • M.A./Ph.D. in Mythological Studies with Emphasis in Depth Psychology
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