Q&A with Marcus Capone
CEO of TARA Mind
Satori Neuro: You’re involved in the new film In Waves and War, which documents the transformation of U.S. veterans undergoing a psychedelic-assisted treatment in Mexico (where the treatment is legal). You are one of those veterans. For readers unfamiliar with your story, would you share with us a bit about what they’ll see in the film?
Marcus Capone: I’m both a co-producer and a main subject of the film. It tells the story of me and two other friends and Navy SEALs I served with on active duty, coming home and hanging it up after years deploying for war, and struggling in the transition to normal life while suffering traumatic brain injuries, PTSD, depression, and anxiety. We first looked to the VA system for help and were prescribed a ton of different prescription medications (which are what most veterans receive), which really only provided symptom relief. None of these treatments were really getting to the root cause of what many of us were dealing with, just providing temporary relief, if at all. Most of us were diagnosed with Treatment Resistant Mental Health conditions such as depression, PTSD, or anxiety.
After years of these failed treatments, in 2017 I travelled to Mexico to experience an experimental psychedelic treatment, Ibogaine. The other two Navy SEALs in the film followed me down several years later, and it radically changed all of our lives. It saved my life, and it kept our family together. The film does a great job at showing the audience what the actual Ibogaine treatment looks like, and it captures the psychedelic therapy experiences extremely detailed with rotoscope animation. In Waves and War is an extremely emotional documentary, so be prepared.
SN: What has the reception been like to the film?
MC: The film premiered at Telluride, and in two showings it received a standing ovation at both. It was then picked up by DOC NYC, the largest documentary film festival in the United States, and they had to add a second showing because it sold out immediately, along with 150 virtual passes that also sold out immediately. It’s been so impactful that there are many influential folks in the film industry and in DC (on the Hill) starting to get behind it. We’re starting to hear conversations about awards. We’re also in talks with the major streamers (Netflix, HBO, HULU, etc) to make it available to the public sometime in 2025.
SN: Not everyone would respond to this healing experience in the way you have—by dedicating yourself to ensuring more people can benefit from it. How does your company, TARA Mind, approach that challenge?
MC: Between 30% and 50% of people with mental health issues don’t respond to the current treatments that are available. These individuals are considered to be Treatment Resistant. Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) drives one-third of the total medical spend at every company—almost $50,000 per individual, and many end up on short-term and long-term disability. So this is a hidden crisis companies are just learning about, and it’s huge! Employees with TRD are not, and will not get better with what is currently offered under their benefit plans today, EAP’s etc, and it’s driving a significant cost to the employer.
TARA Mind is stepping in to fill that gap. We want to have the greatest impact, and so we built a solution for these individuals as a covered health benefit, and because 140 million Americans have their health insurance covered by their employer. We’ve built a national provider network and first-of-its-kind collaborative care platform, that connects employees to the safest and most effective, clinician-guided mental health treatments available. This includes affordable access to Ketamine-Assisted Therapy (KAT), the new gold standard (According to the New England Journal of Medicine) for improving mental health outcomes for individuals with Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD). Today our network across the U.S. of almost 1000 providers, in every major metro, is licensed, vetted, and provides clinician guided treatments using a specialized evidence based KAT protocol. As more treatments become available through the FDA over the next few years, these treatments will be administered by our network of highly skilled mental health professionals.
SN: What would you say to an employer who senses their team could benefit from this coverage, but maybe feels intimidated by the novelty of it—or they’re worried about explaining it?
MC: Addressing an employer's hesitations about offering novel treatments as part of insurance coverage requires a mix of education, reassurance, and practical framing. Here’s how TARA Mind services our employers and educates the market:
We Acknowledge the Novelty and Their Concerns
First, it’s completely understandable to feel uncertain about something as groundbreaking as Ketamine-Assisted Therapy (KAT). It's a relatively new concept in the mainstream workplace, but it’s backed by growing clinical research and has shown significant benefits for mental health, especially in areas where traditional treatments may fall short. It is now considered the gold standard by The New England Journal of Medicine for Treatment Resistant Depression, and just recently the National Network of Depression Centers (Mass General, Mayo, Harvard, Stanford, Yale) penned a memo asking that IV Ketamine be fully covered under Medicare and Medicaid, and by all commercial insurers.
We Highlight the Evidence-Based Benefits
Studies have demonstrated that KAT can be highly effective in addressing mental health challenges like PTSD, treatment-resistant depression, and anxiety. It’s not just a trend—it’s becoming a validated, science-backed approach that respected institutions, including the FDA and every major medical institution, are exploring and supporting.
We Frame it as an Investment in Employee Wellness
Offering KAT coverage can position a company as a leader in workplace mental health innovation. By proactively addressing mental health challenges, they are likely to see improvements in employee well-being, productivity, retention, and overall satisfaction. It's not just about providing therapy—it's about showing the team you care deeply about their holistic health.
We Reassure About Accessibility and Oversight
KAT isn’t something people can or should be able to access casually—it’s done under strict, in clinic, medical supervision by trained professionals in controlled settings. This isn’t about recreational use; it’s a tightly regulated and thoughtfully delivered healthcare option. Only the individuals that qualify for the benefit, and after an exhaustive screening and intake process do they begin their healing journey with their care team that consists of licensed providers and therapists.
We Provide Resources for Better Understanding
We provide reading materials and connect employees and their families with a care coordinator who specializes in explaining the science, safety protocols, and benefits of KAT. Education is key to feeling confident about introducing something new.
We Normalize and Destigmatize the Idea
Many forward-thinking organizations are now exploring and adopting KAT as part of their mental health initiatives. It's a sign of progress, compassion, and commitment to employee well-being, rather than something to shy away from. Executives need to lean in and show their employees that they care.
I challenge CEO’s, HR, Consultants and Benefit Brokers to get outside of your comfort zone and be innovative. Today, we have a life changing mental health solution that is available (Ketamine Assisted Therapy is being offered at over 1000 clinics in the U.S.), that is not expensive for an employer to offer, that will increase productivity, reduce absenteeism, and almost certainly significantly reduce burdensome costs that can be avoided. But most importantly, it’s the right thing to do for your employees.
SN: I know you do a lot of work in the non-profit space as well. How does that fit into what we’ve just heard about?
MC: My wife and I wanted to give back to the special operations community, so we launched a non-profit after my initial life changing treatment. The 501 c 3 is called VETS: Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions Inc., and it provides resources, research and advocacy for US special operations veterans seeking alternative mental health treatments. VETS focuses on Psychedelic and Ketamine assisted therapy, and we’re treatment-agnostic. The individuals come to us with a plan, and if they qualify, we provide them with a grant award and the resources for them to access these treatments in countries where they are legal (or to vetted Ketamine Assisted Therapy clinics here in the U.S.). We cover all treatment, therapy, travel and program costs. VETS has helped thousands of veterans with life saving treatments and ongoing program support since VETS’s inception in 2018. Even with our scope limited to special operations veterans, we have a waiting list of more than 200 people.
SN: Where is this all going – I would love to hear your vision for what the future looks like in this space.
MC: Today we have access to life changing Ketamine Assisted Therapy, tomorrow we’ll have access to many other treatment options. There are literally hundreds of clinical trials happening as we speak, and we’re in an interesting and exciting time for psychedelic therapy. With the leadership of President Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a bold new vision for healthcare is taking shape. One of his top priorities is to revolutionize mental health care by accelerating the availability of innovative psychedelic therapies across the United States. This forward-thinking approach aims to address mental health challenges with cutting-edge, science-backed treatments, ensuring more Americans have access to life-changing care without delay.This is great to hear. We’re working with the transition team and we’re extremely hopeful that all Americans will have access to regulated, clinician guided treatments, for those who need them most, and who are struggling to find inner peace.
In the near future, I’m confident we will see federally regulated affordable access to Psychedelic Assisted Therapy here in the U.S., all covered under your insurance plan.