Physician at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
Team member with the Trauma Research Foundation
“This is a model that can easily be scaled to address the huge need for healing for substance use disorders and other mental health issues that are so prevalent in our society.”
In 2023, the United States experienced a staggering 100,000 fatal drug overdoses, equating to one avoidable death every six minutes. These overdoses represent not just an isolated problem within a particular segment of society but serve as the most visible aspects of a much larger problem of intergenerational trauma, dysfunction, and often, self-medication.
In 2022, United States military veterans were committing suicide at a rate of nearly one per hour. Active service members are committing suicide at a rate of well over one per day. These numbers are increasing each year.
Physician, Addiction Expert, Speaker, Best-Selling Author
“All the modalities, principles, and intentions that Project New Day is bringing together, I’m absolutely convinced, can help many people move forward and heal not just the behavior, but the trauma that underlies the behavior.”
In August of 2025 we completed our work with two groups of military combat veterans. The first were referred to us by the First Battalion Fifth Marines Association and the second by the Saber Six Foundation (Army, 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade).
We had a total of 14 participants enrolled with 11 completing, yielding 79% completion rate. Remarkably, despite its focus on gradual progress, the program delivered significant results in just 13 weeks. In both our 2024 and 2025 studies, combat veterans achieved statistically significant improvements across multiple domains, demonstrating the program’s efficacy in fostering holistic well-being.
Notably, across the board we saw statistically significant reductions in depression (47%), anxiety (40%), pain interference (33%), alcohol use (52%), and pain intensity (21%). There were also numerical improvements in self-compassion, sleep disturbances, and general health.
100% of the participants said they would recommend the program to others.
The 2025 cohort was conducted in group telehealth formats using Zoom. The 2024 cohort was conducted similarly, only the sessions were one-on-one.
Testimonials
“Project New Day has given me something that I have not found yet after a career in the Army; it gave me a physical and mental path forward in life. I was lost and confused trying multiple other mental health programs. For the first time, a program actually made sense and made me feel better. Project New Day is very practical and is an easy-to-use program you can implement into daily life. Overall, I am very impressed with the program content and the way it was presented! Thank you again for your dedication and just caring!” — David Benoit
“Participating in Project New Day has been a truly meaningful experience. I feel better within myself and have gained a deeper understanding of my internal family values and personal purpose. The program has given me practical ways to cope with my life trauma,
which has been invaluable in my healing journey. I can genuinely say I’ve found great value in the program, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to take part in it.” — Ryan Jones
“I recommend this platform for anyone who is struggling to figure it all out because, A) you can’t go it alone and why should you — here the program is made for you and your most trusted battle buddies to go through together, and B) it’s not a cure, it’s a way to understanding through knowledge, shared experience, and being present for yourself and each other. I am a better man, a better dad and granddad, a better husband, I am just better for having taken the time and giving this program a chance. Thank you Project New Day and especially my Battle Buddies who have taken this journey together.” — Andy Elliot
“Our coach’s trust and openness were invaluable to my brothers and me. As veterans, we often struggle to connect with others about our past experiences. His unique ability to listen without judgment helped us understand our own stories in a new way. His thoughtful questions and guidance encouraged us to be honest and reflective. We gained valuable insights into our unconscious minds and learned how to use them to our advantage. This increased our self-confidence and helped us connect more deeply with ourselves. Now, we feel free to be who we are and pursue our hidden potential. I’m incredibly grateful for this life-changing opportunity for me and my brothers. I hope we can find a way to continue supporting the veteran community with their mental challenges.” — Ryan Ackerman
“Thank you so much for wanting to do something like this for my brothers and myself. I have really enjoyed the coaching over the last couple of months. I look forward to it every week and I miss it when something comes up and I can’t make it. I have deeply benefited from Project New Day. I am forever grateful to you and I really can’t say or do enough to show you how beneficial this program has been for my mental health and stability. Please keep this program going, I know other veterans like me will deeply benefit from this program.” –Ramon Suarez
“Project New Day has been a chance for me to find my purpose and alignment with my personal beliefs. I am grateful for the generosity and … Please know you have affected all the participants for the better. We are on a better trajectory with our lives and loved ones because of you.” –Wade Spann
“Words can’t really express my gratitude for everything Project New Day has done for me and my brothers in arms. I simply would have never had the means to do anything like this and it is absolutely priceless for me. I have been waiting for an opportunity to undergo therapy like this for about 15 years, so it truly is an answered prayer. I can say that this entire program as a whole thus far has done more for me in a few months than the past decade of me trying everything else. Just since beginning this program I have made so many positive changes in my life many of which were very difficult and I was avoidant with so much. Thank you so very much. This was pretty much a lifesaver for me, calibrated my compass back to myself, and re-opened my heart after almost 30 years of being closed and armored up.” — Nolan James
The Project New Day Program emerged from our collective recognition of the deep-rooted mental health issues reaching epidemic levels in our society. At the same time, we know that positive change is attainable. We are resolute in our conviction we can bring about substantial improvement in the well-being of countless individuals. Is this audacious? Indeed. Impossible? Far from it. We possess the knowledge, experience, resources, and unwavering community support required to effect this change. We understand how to reach the masses and know what can make a difference.
Drawing upon our personal experience, observations, review of scientific literature, and insights gleaned from respected veterans in the field, we believe the combination of knowledge-based life coaching and community support can help thousands of people on a clear path of recovery. To carry out our mission, we have:
To further clarify the Project New Day Program:
Important!
We strongly believe that, when employed appropriately, our program model can assist people in overcoming unresolved trauma, enabling them to lead lives of freedom, purpose, and fulfillment.
Our program has been meticulously designed to support the safety and well-being of those seeking a path to fulfillment and a better life. It is intended to be self-scaling, enabling us to rapidly and cost-effectively expand its reach.
Our purpose is clear: to make a positive impact on the lives of those in need. This is Project New Day.
Compassion and understanding are essential when it comes to helping individuals struggling with addiction and PTSD. According to Gabor Maté, MD, Bestselling Author, Speaker, and Addiction Specialist,
“The first question is not why the addiction; it’s why the pain? And from my perspective, it’s always rooted in childhood trauma, either overt or covert … Trauma is when there is a loss of feeling and there is reduced flexibility in responding to the world. This is a response to a wound.”
The same thinking also applies to veterans with combat PTSD. A meta-analysis of 50 studies shows that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with an increase in PTSD symptom severity among service members who have been deployed to combat zones. This increase appears to be due to both an additive effect, such that (ACEs) and traumatic deployment experiences combine to predict the severity of PTSD symptoms, as well as an interaction effect between ACEs and deployment-related traumatic events in the prediction of PTSD symptom severity.
Our anecdotal experience bears this out. We have repeatedly seen childhood trauma (acute, chronic, and complex) lead to rigid, constricted, pessimistic thought patterns and, moreover, alienation from oneself, from others, and from nature. These responses are the basis for not only PTSD and addiction but also anxiety, depression, isolation, uncontrollable behaviors, and physiological illnesses. The path to healing involves transcending these patterns of thought by fostering connections and creating possibilities. This is precisely what the Project New Day Program model seeks to achieve through life coaching, psychedelic therapy, and community support.
The following image is a graphical representation of the Project New Day Program model. The model may be thought of as comprising three categories: Healing, Supporting Elements, and Training. Each category contains a set of building blocks, which are linked to web pages with additional information.
Navigate by clicking the squares.
Navigate by clicking the squares.
Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
“When I learned about the Project New Day Program, I felt it was very much in alignment with what I believe and what is important to me. Central to that is how you have compassion and caring for human suffering at its core.“
The Project New Day Healing and Addiction Philosophies comprise two pillars:
Peer-reviewed science has demonstrated that each of these pillars, individually, increases the odds of healing trauma and breaking the cycle of addictive dependencies.
More specifically the power of this combination is from:
A set of knowledge-based life-coaching sessions in which Project New Day certified coaches strive to create a sense of connection by listening carefully and holding their clients in unconditional positive regard. In tandem, Project New Day coaches use a proprietary, knowledge-based coaching model to present life-improving methods that open both hearts and minds to new possibilities. The program model suggests thirteen weekly coaching sessions, followed by weekly community sessions, all on Zoom, to effectively support the integration of new perspectives into the participants’ daily lives.
Weekly Community Group Zoom sessions are led by Project New Day certified group facilitators. Virtually all well-designed recovery programs stress the need for structure and follow-on community support. This support is especially important as a core tenet of the Project New Day Program is the adoption of a continuous growth mindset for ongoing well-being.
Additional information on the Project New Day Healing Philosophy.
Additional information on the Project New Day Addiction Philosophy.
The end goal is for our program to save thousands of lives and improve many more.
Here is how Project New Day plans to make the program model available on a large scale and to increase awareness of its existence.
And finally, by giving our proven model to the world at no cost for the benefit of humankind.
Additional information on Scaling and Promotion.
The Project New Day Resources page contains diagnostic assessments, coaching worksheets, group facilitation forms, and numerous documents that pertain to addiction, recovery, and psychedelic therapy.
Additional information on Project New Day’s Resources.
Project New Day (PND) certified master coaches and community facilitators must complete an extensive suite of online training courses in which they learn a set of healing methods as a sequence. From that sequence, program participants learn how to transcend rigid, pessimistic thought patterns, create possibilities, and connect with their authentic selves, others, and their environment. This structured approach ensures the PND program is effective and repeatable.
Project New Day Coaches are to be certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the gold standard in coaching. In addition, to become a Project New Day Certified Master Coach, coaches must receive certifications in:
Additional information on becoming a Project New Day Master Coach.
Project New Day Certified Community Group Facilitators are not required to be ICF certified. Instead, they will be required to receive a completion certification for Project New Day’s Coaching Fundamental course.
In addition, Community Group Facilitators must receive certifications in:
Additional information on becoming a Project New Day Community Group Facilitator.
By combining our lived experience and the wisdom of our veteran leaders in this field, we have created a rapidly scalable, revolutionary healing program using:
The goal is to reduce needless suffering and prevent thousands of deaths by proving the efficacy of this model, promoting it, and making it freely available to the world.