The Albany Gazette - Ahead of 9/11, U.S. Veterans' Non-Profit Partners with World's Only Medically Licensed Ayahuasca Facility to Combat PTSD and Suicide

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / September 10, 2026 / Rythmia Life Advancement Center, the world's first medically licensed plant medicine retreat, has joined forces with The Coming Home Project, a veteran-founded 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to ending veteran suicide through access to psychedelic-assisted healing. In the week of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, from September 5 to September 12, 2026, the two organizations are hosting an inaugural retreat week reserved exclusively for combat veterans and closed to the general public, designed to offer a structured pathway to healing through medically supervised ayahuasca and psychedelic-assisted treatment for those living with treatment-resistant PTSD or searching for a way forward after the trauma of war.

The cohort is moving through Rythmia's full seven-day program in a private setting, surrounded by fellow veterans and supported by a single, unified care team. Rythmia's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jeff McNairy, Psy.D., M.P.H., and the center's medical, facilitation, and integration staff are working side by side with Coming Home Project coaches, who have been with these veterans since before arrival and will remain with them long after the retreat ends.

A Crisis That Existing Treatments Have Not Solved

According to the VA, an estimated 17 veterans die by suicide every day in the United States, and independent research that counts overdoses and other self-inflicted deaths puts the true number as high as 44. Veterans experience PTSD at roughly five times the rate of the general population, and a large share of those who enter conventional trauma treatment drop out before completing it. For many, standard care has meant years of medication that dulls symptoms without addressing the underlying root cause.

A growing body of clinical research suggests that psychedelic medicines, administered with intention in a supervised setting, can help the brain reprocess traumatic memory and open a window of neuroplasticity during which lasting change becomes possible. Veterans have been among the most vocal advocates for this research, and among those most in need of safe, legal access.

"This is two heavyweights coming together around one mission: end veteran suicide. Coming Home Project has spent years building trust with veterans and guiding them through plant medicine and long-term integration, while Rythmia has built what we believe is the gold standard for medically supervised ayahuasca treatment at scale. Bringing those two worlds together gives us the ability to reach and support veterans at a level we simply couldn't before," said Nate Brown, Founder of The Coming Home Project, a former Navy SEAL who completed multiple combat deployments in the Global War on Terror and found his own path to recovery through plant medicine.

How the Collaboration Works

Since its founding, The Coming Home Project has guided more than 2,000 veterans through its own plant medicine healing programs, building the preparation, coaching, and integration model that veterans have come to trust. This collaboration allows that proven model to reach far more veterans at once, with Rythmia's medically supervised program serving as the setting for the work. For this week, The Coming Home Project identified and prepared eligible veterans, and sponsored their participation, coaching, travel, and integration resources. Rythmia provides the program, environment, medical screening and supervision, ceremony, and the wellness and educational programming that make up its seven-day program. Together, the two organizations see this inaugural week as the foundation for reaching veterans at a scale neither could achieve alone.

Every participant receives:

• Medical intake and screening prior to arrival
• Pre-retreat preparation and coaching from Coming Home Project staff, and access to Rythmia's RLife App, which includes both a prep module and integration support
• Four plant medicine ceremonies under 24-hour medical supervision
• Daily integration sessions, breathwork, yoga, and educational classes
• A private, veteran-only environment for the full week
• Structured post-retreat integration coaching and ongoing community support in the weeks and months ahead

"Veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD are some of the most clinically complex guests we see, and also some of the most ready to heal. Hosting a dedicated week allows us to build the entire experience around their needs, from medical screening through ceremony and integration, in a setting where every person in the room understands what the person next to them has carried. Working alongside The Coming Home Project means these veterans arrive prepared and leave with a support system already in place. Our job is to make this as safe as it is transformative. For this population, that responsibility is one we take personally," said Dr. Jeff McNairy, Chief Medical Officer of Rythmia Life Advancement Center.

About the Inaugural Week

The veteran week is not open to public booking. Participation was coordinated entirely through The Coming Home Project, which vetted candidates, handled logistics, and ensured each veteran has the preparation and support system needed to make the most of the experience. The week is being documented by John Moore, Getty Images special correspondent and senior staff photographer, whose honors include the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography for his coverage of the Iraq War, the Robert Capa Gold Medal, and World Press Photo of the Year. Moore is producing a photo essay chronicling the veteran's unique journeys through the retreat.

Veterans and family members interested in learning more about The Coming Home Project's work can visit www.thecominghomeproject.org.

About Rythmia Life Advancement Center

Rythmia Life Advancement Center is a medically licensed plant medicine retreat located in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Since opening in 2016, Rythmia has welcomed more than 24,000 guests from around the world to its all-inclusive seven-day program, which combines ayahuasca ceremonies, medical supervision, breathwork, yoga, integration, and The Answer Is You classes. Learn more at www.rythmia.com.

About The Coming Home Project

The Coming Home Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2021 by Navy SEAL veteran Nate Brown with a single mission: to end veteran suicide, one warrior at a time. The organization helps combat veterans and their families access lifesaving psychedelic-assisted treatment in jurisdictions where it is legally available, providing grants for coaching, travel, and integration, along with a dedicated community for long-term healing. The Coming Home Project also advocates for policy reform so that America's veterans can one day be treated at home. Learn more at www.thecominghomeproject.org or reach out via email to: [email protected]

SOURCE: Rythmia Life Advancement Center

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

(W.Walker--TAG)