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Therapy

The Other Side of Veteran Healing: Secondary PTSD and Post-Retreat Family Dynamics

May 10, 2024
Featuring: Allison Wilson & Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley

In this episode, Joe interviews two members of the Heroic Hearts Project team: Director of Donor Development and founder of The Hope Project, Allison Wilson; and Director of Research and founder of Hystelica, Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley.

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In this episode, Joe interviews two members of the Heroic Hearts Project team: Director of Donor Development and founder of The Hope Project, Allison Wilson; and Director of Research and founder of Hystelica, Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley.

They discuss how The Hope Project – a nonprofit that supports spouses of veterans, Gold Star Wives, and female veterans with scholarships to psychedelic healing retreats, integration, community, etc. – merged with Heroic Hearts Project, and why this is such a necessary part of the veteran healing story: How does a family hold space for a vet returning to a suddenly alien civilian life (especially after a psychedelic journey)? How does a spouse deal with their own trauma from constant worry and isolation? Wilson and Blest-Hopley are learning that, for many spouses, having their own experience (and with other spouses) has been incredibly beneficial.

They talk about:

  • The concept of secondary PTSD (often referred to as ‘compassion fatigue’) and the many ways it can manifest
  • How Heroic Hearts is working with Imperial College London to use veteran retreats as real-world observational research
  • The importance of involving family in the healing process, and how positive outcomes can trickle down to children
  • The need for more research into how PTSD and the effects of psychedelics are different in women based on their unique physiology (as most studies have focused on men)

and more!

Links

Heroicheartsproject.org

Thehope-project.org

Hystelica.com

Lucid.news: Vets Group Moves Psychedelic Therapy Research Outside the Clinic

Cnn.com: Largest study of brains of athletes younger than 30 finds early signs of CTE even in amateur players

YouTube: PT Live: Joe Moore & Alex Horton Discuss the Heroic Hearts Project

Allison Wilson

In this Episode

Allison Wilson

Allison Wilson is the founder of The Hope Project, a 3-year-old non-profit that supports veteran spouses, Gold Star Wives and veteran women with scholarships to psychedelic healing retreats, preparation and integration coaching, and most importantly, community. Allison created The Hope Project after 16 years in the special operations community as the spouse to a veteran Navy SEAL and after her own profound healing journey. Allison supported her husband, Jonathan Wilson, in the birth of SEAL Future Foundation and quickly realized the importance of the spouse having something of their “own.” Allison is currently the director of donor development at Heroic Hearts Project after a beautiful merge with Hope Project and Heroic Hearts last year. Now, they are able to support the entire family unit. The Hope Project has currently supported over 200 spouses and women veterans with retreats, coaching and/or community work, and they have almost 400 women on their list to date. They have a team of 10 coaches made up of Gold Star Wives, veteran women, spouses, doctors, and therapists to support women with preparation, wellness practices, tools, retreats, and integration! Allison resides in Colorado with her husband and five children on a small farm, and she enjoys hiking, the mountains, being with family and all of her animals too!

Heroic Hearts Project socials: Instagram / X / Facebook
The Hope Project socials: Instagram

Grace Blest-Hopley

Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley

Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley is a neuroscientist with over 10 years researching cannabinoids and psychedelics. Grace completed her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at King’s College London. She currently serves as the chief scientific officer at NWPharma Tech and research director at Heroic Hearts Project, a charity that supports combat veterans with mental health challenges resulting from trauma. Grace is also the founder of Hystelica, a company advancing and advocating for the understanding of safe and effective psychedelic use for women.

Hystelica socials: Instagram

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