Psychologist and Philanthropist Dr. Kara Coe Discusses Innovative Use of Cannabis in the Treatment of Navy SEALs with PTSD

RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via InvestorWire — Dr. Kara Coe, a Harvard-trained forensic psychologist, today releases an update regarding innovative uses of cannabis she has employed in the treatment of Navy SEALs with post-traumatic stress disorder. Coe is known for being one of the most successful interrogators in military history. Her PTSD ministry is located in Virginia Beach, home to the largest military bases in the world. Dr. Coe provides therapy at no cost to almost 30 active-duty SEALs in weekly group therapy meetings the SEALs affectionately call “Yappy Hour.”

“Anxiety disorders are easiest for me to address when the stressor is present,” explains Coe. “It provides the most accurate functional analysis and allows me to experience the patient’s symptoms firsthand.”

While Coe’s methods of treatment are considered unorthodox by some, her ability to cure and change lives is unparalleled. Her recent secret to treating soldiers with severe PTSD? Mother Nature’s remedy: cannabis.

A large bed of empirical literature suggests marijuana is a safe and efficacious treatment for many symptoms of anxiety, depression and even cancer; however, Coe makes innovative use of the plant. She finds that, because of the way THC is metabolized in the brain, its effects allow patients to access “previously repressed” memories and details, as well as a platform for “state-dependent” learning. While many doctors encourage PTSD patients to just self-medicate at home, she periodically asks patients to enjoy a gummy before therapy to be used in conjunction with group or exposure treatments.

Coming from a forensic background, Coe is not a proponent of relying on pharmacological intervention to treat any mental health symptoms, claiming her “patients often do not have the luxuries of medicine or deontological reason.” For the majority of her career, she has treated the most severe symptoms, including suicidality and homicidality, in high-stress environments, such as penitentiaries and active war zones.

When questioned about the controversial use of cannabis in therapy, Coe explains, “If ingesting a plant allows me to cure flashbacks and nightmares, the injustice would be not providing the therapy.” Coe has an astonishingly high success rate. “I have had the worst of the worst patients and have still been able to provide relief,” she says. Coe does not suggest cannabis alone will cure PTSD, but, coupled with her cognitive and biofeedback-based therapy, she has yet to encounter a “treatment-resistant” patient.

Coe explains that PTSD is only a “disorder” stateside and that what we consider symptoms here in the U.S. are adaptations in war zones. “The nightmares, the memories, the hypervigilance all protect the service member in theater – we want them to be alert and sensitive to signs of danger, we want them to live.” Coe believes the reason traditional military mental health professionals do not have greater success in treating PTSD is that they are treating the solution and not the problem.

Dr. Coe was recently awarded “International Shepherd 2021” by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and continues to do “God’s work” both in and out of warzones.

About Dr. Kara Coe:

Born and raised on the East Coast, Dr. Kara Coe knew early she wanted to help people. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the American School of Professional Psychology and completed residency, fellowship and postdoctoral training through a program at Harvard University. She has done work with forensic and military populations and has published a wide range of empirical literature, including articles related to parasuicidal behavior, psychopathy, interrogation, delinquency and transgendered patients. Coe is finishing a memoir depicting the internal struggle of soldiers she treated while working for the U.S. Army and NSA. She was licensed to practice in Washington, D.C., and Virginia and works with government agencies consulting on matters of national security. She recently gave up her licensure to provide free and confidential PTSD therapy to Navy SEALs. Her methods are believed to be unconventional but highly effective.

In 2021, while helping to pass cannabis legislation in Virginia, Coe opened Queens Green Apothecary, an “Alice in Wonderland”-themed smoke shop, and Cannabar, a luxury smoking lounge. Coe also is involved with other CBD/THC products, including InkWell MetaFarm (products developed to heal burns and tattoos), equine hemp bedding, and a new line of ready-to-drinks (RTDs) that should be on shelves this fall.

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