Veterans of War is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects teams of veterans to psychedelic-assisted guided group therapy designed to heal the scars of war in community.

The Group Therapy Fellowship:

What if, instead of treating the many symptoms of trauma (PTSD, rage, loss of memory or identity, insomnia, hypervigilance, etc.), we had a way to treat the source of the trauma itself while also creating the framework for long term peer-to-peer support?

VoW is doing just that by offering a six-month group fellowship curriculum for treatment-resistant veteran teams. The veteran teams will use all 3 methods approved by the American Psychological Association to combat the after-effects of war: Education, Psychotherapy, and Psychopharmacology.

The Fellowship’s mission to heal is accomplished in 3 phases:

1. cohort of 4 veteran participants begin 2 months of guided group therapy with a certified integration coach designed to provide education and preparation for Phase 2.

2. cohort, coach, and VoW staff meet for an 8 day guided psychedelic therapy workshop. Veterans will have 4 opportunities to drink plant medicine in a ceremonial setting spread out over the period (interspersed with days for rest, debriefing, coaching circle, guided meditation, and yoga).

3. cohort members return home and begin the final 4 months of the fellowship curriculum designed to provide continued integration coaching and support.

   Supporting integration is essential to maintaining positive long-term outcomes.

Success in a VoW Fellowship is a direct result of connection through shared experience, long-term peer-to-peer support, accountability, and overcoming challenges.

important notes:

Participants are responsible for paying for and booking their personal flights to the designated workshop location. All other costs such as coaching support, workshop fees, food and lodging during the workshop, etc, are paid for by VoW.

Workshops are focused on tuning in to the subtle energy and mindful use of the ancient entheogen ayahuasca as a diagnostic tool and connector in order to help participants better understand and overcome the root causes for Post Traumatic Stress (PTS), Military Sexual Trauma (MST), addiction, insomnia, and/or other imbalances of the psyche. We offer four chances for each veteran participant to drink the sacred Amazonian tea in a safe, clean, and supported environment over the course of the workshop, as well as integration-coaching after each session, excursion opportunities into the jungle between sessions, group share, group yoga, and guided meditation sessions between ceremonies.

Upon completion of the workshop, the lion’s share of the fellowship continues at veteran homes of record for an additional 4 months through continued bi-weekly group therapy/coaching sessions designed to aid integration of lessons learned and to ensure that adequate support structures are in place to give the best possible chance of long-term, positive outcomes that support recovery. We want the new life changes to stick, and we work to make sure they do by providing an ongoing platform for connection, growth and support in perpetuity.

Unlike most veteran-centric programs, VoW’s involvement doesn’t end with the completion of our fellowship program. After the final coaching session, VoW pairs our veterans-in-transition to a successfully transitioned peer/mentor in perpetuity (or simply as long as the veteran needs our support). We work to build a community that endorses healthy life-connections intentionally provided to sustain permanent growth.

Our goal is to help the veteran realize that the tools for successful transition or reconnection were within them all along; in coming to this realization, we hope that successful veterans have reconnected to their inner-warrior, and in turn willingly transition into our peer/mentor group in order to help others that will follow them on this sacred journey.

We, as a tribe, can help one another heal.

On ceremonial Ayahuasca:

The use of Ayahuasca has been compared to “10 years of psychotherapy condensed into 4 hours,” and “about as much fun as cleaning a festering wound by hand.” Unfortunately, some wounds really need cleaning before healing can take hold.

Ayahuasca can be a transformative plant teacher, but its not a “silver bullet” or a cure-all. It represents challenging, many times uncomfortable work. It is not a path for everyone to walk. In fact, it is typically after trying many different modalities unsuccessfully, and in desperation, that veterans find us. Ayahuasca is one of the most powerful known psychedelics on the planet in use for healing trauma. It is an extreme solution for an extreme problem that only works if you do as well.

In short: Ayahuasca can show you the path, but its up to you to walk it.

Work with plant medicines is not a substitute for mental health care and our programs are designed to compliment existing mental health care plans already in place for veteran participants.