Normalize PTSD
Normalize PTSD
74_The Mission Within with Jay Kopelman
Jay Kopelman is a retired Marine lieutenant colonel with 21 years of service and two combat tours in Iraq. He endured multiple TBIs and severe PTSD. After participating in a Mission Within retreat involving plant medicine, he overcame his PTSD and became deeply committed to helping others heal from TBI and PTSD.
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Jay Kopelman:
Jay Kopelman is a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel with 21 years of service and two Iraq combat tours, where he trained Iraqi Special Forces, fought in Fallujah, and embedded with joint operations, always showing compassion for the vulnerable. A dedicated advocate for underdogs, he has moved from military command to health care innovation, veteran entrepreneurship advising via the Semper Fi & America’s Fund, and now leads the Mission Within Foundation as Executive Director, fundraising for psychedelic-assisted therapy to treat PTSD, TBI, and traumas in veterans and first responders. He authored two bestselling memoirs on his war experiences and dog rescue, speaks on defense, terrorism, veteran mental health, and psychedelic benefits, and is a competitive jiu-jitsu athlete, outdoors enthusiast, and father.
The Mission Within aims to end veteran suicide through a 6-week psychedelic program featuring online therapy, coaching, and a 4-day retreat with substances like Ibogaine, 5-MeO-DMT, and Psilocybin. It heals veterans and families from PTSD, mTBI, depression, and anxiety via clinical pathways, treating over 1,000 special operations members and spouses since 2017, with 80% PTSD recovery. The focus is on fostering purpose and growth in the veteran community.
In this episode I had the absolute honor of chatting with Lt. Col. Jay Kopelman, a retired Marine with an awesome career, combat tours in Iraq, and mentoring Iraqi forces. We covered his bestselling books about rescuing a puppy named Lava during the war, his post-military path in healthcare and veteran entrepreneurship advising with Semper Fi & America's Fund, and his raw experiences with PTSD, TBI, anger, hypervigilance, and sleep issues that strained his relationships—until psychedelic-assisted therapy changed everything. Jay's now the Executive Director of Mission Within Foundation.
The Mission Within is doing great things: they're revolutionizing healing for veterans and first responders with safe, clinician-led retreats using Ibogaine, 5-MeO-DMT, and psilocybin, boasting an 80-90% success rate in reducing PTSD symptoms. They've treated over 1,000 special ops vets and spouses since 2017, with comprehensive pre-retreat medical assessments, on-site cardiologists and nurses, and post-journey integration like coaching, meditation, and functional medicine testing to ensure lasting results. It's not just medicine—it's a full reset fostering purpose, self-love, and growth, and it's saving lives where traditional therapies fall short.
I'm incredibly grateful to Jay for sharing his personal experience so honestly and joining the podcast!
