Since 2023, VETS has offered a three-week workshop called Heart-Centered Communication, helping veterans and their spouses strengthen their ability to relate, connect, and communicate. Led by John Bodine, the workshop introduces simple yet powerful tools that bring more awareness, honesty, and presence into relationships.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Here’s what participants are saying:

“It allowed me to put into words the actual feelings going through my body before I responded… and by vocalizing these sensations to my spouse, she was able to relate, which dramatically helped de-escalate situations.”

“…improved my ability to relate instead of react… allowing me to respond in a loving manner, which is completely opposite of what I have known all my life.”

“This workshop gave my wife and me new tools to communicate our feelings. Learning about barriers, control patterns, and ingrained habits has improved our daily lives and helped us navigate deeper issues.”

So, what exactly happens in the Heart-Centered Communication workshop?

Noticing Triggers and Breaking Patterns

Someone once asked John Bodine what he recommends after returning home from a psychedelic retreat. His response? “Start noticing your triggers.”

  • What sensations arise when your nervous system becomes dysregulated?
  • What does it feel like in your body when frustration builds?
  • How does awareness of these patterns allow you to shift your response?

Many veterans in our program have spent years operating in survival mode, which often creates ingrained control patterns and emotional barriers. This workshop gives them the opportunity to break those cycles and cultivate healthier ways of interacting with others.

Relating vs. Controlling

When John asks participants, “Do you want to be known as someone who controls everything? As someone who reacts with rage?”—no one raises their hand.

Instead, many lower their heads, reflecting on the ways they’ve struggled to be truly present in relationships.

This workshop asks deeper questions:

  • Do you genuinely want to be known by the people in your life?
  • Are you interested in truly knowing others?
  • What patterns are getting in the way of meaningful connection?

Through guided discussions and exercises, participants explore what it means to move beyond control and into authentic relating.

The Power of Boundaries

Boundaries are a form of self-respect. But many of us have never been taught how to set, honor, or communicate them.

  • When did we stop listening to our inner voice?
  • When did we stop trusting ourselves?
  • What does it look like to set healthy, compassionate boundaries?

John weaves these conversations into the workshop alongside well-timed personal stories and lived experience. He teaches by example, embodying the same principles he shares—honesty, presence, and self-awareness.

Speaking from the Heart

The workshop isn’t just about discussing communication—it’s about practicing it in real time. Participants learn to use simple, direct language that keeps them present in the moment:

  • “When I hear you say****, I feel__**.”
  • “I see/hear/notice****, and I imagine__**.”
  • “Right now I’m feeling____ (name body sensation).”

For many, these exercises feel natural in a way they never have before.

Why?

Because most participants have recently experienced a profound opening of the heart through psychedelic-assisted therapy. After such a transformational experience, learning how to speak from that place of openness is the next step.

A Foundation in Getting Real

The Heart-Centered Communication workshop is heavily influenced by the work of Susan Campbell , author of Getting Real .

Susan’s book entered my life unexpectedly. Five years ago, I found a dusty copy at a thrift store. The first words I read were: “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to hide.”

Gulp. I was being called out.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy had already shifted my awareness, making me question old patterns. Susan’s words hit me like a lightning bolt: If I was serious about change, I had to start by being honest—with myself and others.

As Susan says: “You can only be as honest as you are self-aware.”

Psychedelic therapy has a way of accelerating self-awareness. It brings buried emotions to the surface and helps us recognize outdated habits that no longer serve us. But after the psychedelic experience, the question becomes: What now?

The Heart-Centered Communication workshop provides an answer.

Building a Community of Authentic Connection

Since VETS launched this program, over 250 veterans and spouses have participated. Many continue practicing these tools in small peer-led groups, committed to communicating with honesty and heart.

What a blessing.

About the Author

Eric “Moose” Smith, Director of Men’s Programs

Moose is passionate about the benefits that psychedelic medicine provides to our world. He is a former Navy SEAL and currently a Certified Psychedelic Integration Coach. He is a devoted coach and mentor for veterans seeking transformative healing. He lives in Southern California with his wife and three sons.