Psilocybin Retreats for Veterans: What to Know Before You Go

For Veterans, the decision to participate in a psychedelic retreat can be more complex than simply deciding whether you want to have a psychedelic experience.

There may be layers of trauma, medication, substance use, relationships, military experiences, and patterns that have been present for many years. That is why working with Veterans requires a different level of preparation, sensitivity, and understanding.

At our retreats, we don’t look at the psychedelic experience as an isolated event. We look at the person as a whole: their history, their nervous system, their body, their emotional patterns, and what they are hoping to change.

Why Is Screening Different for Veterans?

Screening is an important part of any responsible psychedelic program. But when working with Veterans, the screening process can be more in-depth. There may be multiple factors to understand at the same time: medications, previous or current substance use, mental health history, trauma, sleep, anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms, physical health, and the circumstances surrounding military service.

We also want to understand what is happening beneath the surface.

What is your nervous system doing on a daily basis? How do you respond when you feel unsafe? Do you tend to fight, flee, freeze, or shut down? What happens in your body when certain memories or situations are triggered? What support systems do you have when you return home?

The goal of screening isn’t to judge your history or determine whether you are “broken.” It is to understand you well enough to determine whether this type of work may be appropriate and how the program can be approached as safely and responsibly as possible. And sometimes, the most responsible answer is not yet. That is an important part of ethical psychedelic work.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is now actively researching psilocybin with Veterans, including a 2026 clinical trial for treatment-resistant depression in Veterans, including Veterans with concurrent PTSD. The VA emphasizes that this research is conducted under strict safety protocols and that Veterans should not attempt to self-medicate with psychedelics.

Trauma Is Not Only About What Happened

It is also about what happened in the body.

One of the most important principles in our work with Veterans is understanding trauma as more than a story or a memory. An event may have happened years ago, and the event itself may be over, but the nervous system can continue responding as though the danger is still present. The body can remain prepared to fight, flee, freeze, or protect itself.

This is why our work isn’t limited to talking about what happened. We incorporate embodiment and somatic approaches to help people develop a different relationship with their bodies, sensations, emotions, and nervous-system responses. And there is something else we have learned from listening to Veterans’ stories:

The most visible trauma isn’t always where the story began.

For some people, military service may have brought earlier wounds to the surface. Experiences from childhood, family dynamics, attachment, neglect, abuse, or other unresolved experiences may already have shaped the nervous system long before someone entered military service. Military trauma can then add another layer.

This doesn’t mean that a Veteran’s service-related experiences aren’t significant. They can be profoundly impactful. It simply means that healing sometimes requires looking at the whole story rather than focusing on one event. The question becomes not only “What happened to you?” but also “What happened inside you, and how is your body still responding today?”

That is why we may use different somatic and embodiment modalities alongside psychedelic work. The goal is not to force someone to relive their trauma. The goal is to help create enough safety and stability for the nervous system to begin experiencing something different.

Why Does Nervous-System Stabilization Come First?

Before we ask someone to go deeply into difficult material, we want to establish a foundation. For many Veterans, this means working with stabilization, regulation, embodiment, and nervous-system awareness. This can involve breathwork, movement, grounding practices, somatic exercises, meditation, body awareness, and other supportive modalities.

The specific approach depends on the individual. We don’t believe that everyone needs the same protocol. Some people need to learn how to slow down. Others need to reconnect with their body. Some need to learn how to recognize when they are becoming activated. And some need to rediscover what safety actually feels like.

This is particularly important because psychedelic experiences can temporarily intensify emotions, memories, bodily sensations, and perceptions. Responsible preparation therefore matters. The psychedelic is not expected to “do all the work.” The intention is to create conditions where the experience can become part of a larger therapeutic and personal process.

Why Does Integration Look Different for Veterans?

Integration is where we begin to make sense of what happened and how it relates to everyday life. But integration with Veterans isn’t always about sitting down and immediately talking through every detail of an experience.

Sometimes talking isn’t the first step. Some experiences are difficult to put into words. Some memories may feel too personal. Some emotions may not yet have language. And sometimes a person simply needs someone who can sit with them without demanding an explanation.

We don’t push people to talk before they are ready. We create space. We listen. We allow silence. We pay attention to the body. And we trust that not everything needs to be intellectually explained immediately. This is one of the reasons we view integration as an ongoing process rather than a single conversation after the retreat.

The question isn’t simply: “What did you see?”

It is also: “What is different in your body?” “What are you noticing now?” “What do you want to do differently?” “How can you bring this experience into your life?”

What Does the Research Say?

Research into psychedelic-assisted therapy for Veterans is still developing, but the field is moving quickly. The psilocybin trial described above is part of a wider program: the VA says it is currently involved in 20 active clinical trials focused on psychedelic therapies for mental health conditions.

In 2024, the VA announced funding for the first study of MDMA-assisted therapy for Veterans living with both PTSD and alcohol use disorder. It was the first VA-funded study of psychedelic-assisted therapy since the 1960s.

There is also emerging direct research involving Veterans with PTSD. A 2026 pilot study at Ohio State University, involving 12 Veterans with severe, treatment-resistant PTSD, found substantial reductions in clinician-rated PTSD symptoms after psilocybin-assisted therapy, with 75% of participants meeting the study’s criteria for treatment response and remission at one-month follow-up. However, this was a small, open-label pilot study with no control group, so the findings are promising rather than definitive.

MDMA-assisted therapy is also being actively researched for PTSD. In 2026, the VA launched a randomized controlled trial enrolling approximately 80 Veterans with co-occurring PTSD and alcohol use disorder.

And internationally, the regulatory landscape is beginning to change. Australia has allowed authorized psychiatrists to provide MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD since 1 July 2023. On 4 September 2026, New Zealand authorized two psychiatrists to prescribe pharmaceutical-grade MDMA to eligible adults with PTSD under strict clinical conditions. New Zealand has also granted a limited individual authorization for medicinal psilocybin prescribing.

These developments are encouraging, but they should not be confused with proof that psychedelics are a universal treatment for PTSD. The research is promising, and it is still developing. That is exactly why careful screening, preparation, professional support, and integration matter.

What Do I Tell My Family?

This can be one of the hardest questions. Your family may be worried. They may have heard stories about psychedelics. They may not understand why you want to travel to another country for this type of experience. They may even think you’re being reckless.

You don’t necessarily need to convince them that psychedelics are the answer. You can simply explain that you are taking time to work on yourself in a structured environment and that you have carefully considered the decision.

You might say:

“I’m going away for a few days to focus on my mental and emotional wellbeing. I’ve gone through a screening process and I’m working with people who have experience supporting this type of work. There will be preparation, support during the experience, and integration afterward. I understand why you may have concerns, and I’m taking those concerns seriously.”

You can also tell them that you are not going there simply to “take mushrooms.” You are going there to participate in a structured therapeutic process that includes preparation, the psychedelic experience, embodiment, support, and integration. And you don’t have to tell your family every detail.

Why Costa Rica?

Costa Rica is part of the healing container. The warmth, sunshine, ocean, sand, fresh water, natural foods, tropical environment, and slower pace of life create an opportunity to step away from the constant stimulation of everyday life and reconnect with the body and nature.

We intentionally focus on fresh, locally sourced, organic foods and on spending time outdoors, surrounded by natural light, animals, greenery, and the rhythms of the natural environment. There is also something powerful about being able to slow down, disconnect from technology and daily demands, and allow your nervous system to experience a different pace.

Costa Rica is also home to the Nicoya Peninsula, one of the five regions identified as Blue Zones by the National Geographic researchers who coined the term, where longevity has been associated with traditional foods, natural movement, sunshine, strong community, purpose, and a slower, more connected way of living.

We don’t believe that Costa Rica itself creates healing, but we believe the environment can support the process. Nature, sunlight, nourishing food, water, movement, rest, animals, and space to simply slow down all become part of the container. It gives you the opportunity to step away from survival mode and reconnect with yourself in an environment that naturally invites you to breathe, listen, and be present.

For many Veterans, the goal isn’t to erase the past. It is to change the relationship you have with what happened, and with what your body has been carrying ever since.

Sometimes healing begins by understanding the story. Sometimes it begins by feeling safe in your body. Sometimes it begins with being able to finally stop fighting something that no longer needs to be fought. And sometimes, it begins with simply having a safe place where you don’t have to explain everything. That is the kind of space we aim to create for Veterans.

This program is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric care, and nothing here is a promise of specific outcomes. The legal status of psychedelic substances varies by country; participation is subject to intake and screening. If you take medication or have a diagnosed medical or mental-health condition, consult your physician before applying.