STEPS FOUNDATION

STEPS offers curated, evidence-based programs that provide support for the four cornerstones of a successful transition: physical and mental health, community connection, and career and education. Our holistic, trauma-informed approach promotes personal growth, balance, and healing, helping families navigate the complex challenges of transitioning from military service to civilian life. Recognizing the diversity among SOF women, STEPS delivers individualized support plans, guaranteeing that each woman is equipped with the necessary tools for a successful transition. Although each plan is unique, all STEPS programs include an evaluation with a highly trained intake team to determine individual needs, as well as six-months of curated virtual and in-person programming. Our programs include:
- Endocrine balancing, helping to identify imbalances in hormone levels and spikes in cortisol levels, providing supplements for continued health and wellness and offering holistic health programs to reduce stress and anxiety.
- Nutrition and fitness programs help make healthy living approachable. Our families receive individualized support to simplify mealtime, provide menus for specific health concerns, reach personal fitness goals, and discover tools to help reconnect them after so many years apart.
- Somatic coaching sessions with trauma informed somatic therapists who work with spouses to address past traumas and nervous system dysregulation, enabling spouses to claim a sense of safety, vitality and embodiment beyond long held survival patterns.
- Meditation and mindfulness sessions, introducing tools to help reduce stress by shifting the nervous system from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic.
- Performance coaching sessions utilize neuroscience and strength-based tools and techniques to help spouses gain clarity on purpose, passion and strengths.
- One-on-one financial counseling help spouses create and best implement a customized and tailored financial plan.Nearly half of service member households report difficulty in uncertainty being a significant contributing factor. The transition period often brings increased stress and anxiety around income, benefits, and employment.
- Pelvic floor issues are common, affecting one in four women. Despite their prevalence, many individuals are often told to dismiss their symptoms, even when they're embarrassing, disruptive, or painful. STEPS offers virtual Pelvic Floor Therapy to help address these issues.
- The STEPS Foundation hosts monthly connection calls, offering diverse sessions led by carefully curated providers. Rooted in our Four Cornerstones—mental, physical, community, and career & education—these calls create a trusted space for learning, connection, and growth.
While over 120 organizations exist to support the Operators, we are proud to be the only one offering long-term, holistic support exclusively for SOF spouses and female Veterans. We remain committed to following our participants not just through our six-month programs, but beyond, to ensure that their transitions are successful and sustainable.