Soltara Becomes the First Ayahuasca Healing Center to Partner with Thank You Life
Expanding access to healing through tax-deductible Ayahuasca retreat scholarships. Donate here.
We have news that's close to our hearts. Soltara Healing Center is now the first Ayahuasca healing center, and the first international center, to join forces with Thank You Life, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit eliminating financial barriers to psychedelic-assisted therapy through grants and scholarships.
Through this partnership, our community can now make tax-deductible donations (in the U.S.) to the Soltara Scholarship Fund. Every gift helps someone on our waitlist sit in ceremony with Shipibo healers in Costa Rica, people who are ready for this work but can't yet afford it.
This season, we're setting out to raise $250,000 for Ayahuasca retreat scholarships. We hope you'll join us in supporting this important work.
Why this partnership matters
Thank You Life's mission is to eliminate the financial barriers to psychedelic-assisted therapy, to help solve inequity in mental health treatment, enable healing in underserved communities, and advocate for systemic change. They stand alongside organizations that honor Indigenous healing practices and provide high-quality holistic care.
As the first Ayahuasca center and the first center outside the U.S. to partner with them, we carry this with both pride and responsibility. It means:
- Your gift is tax-deductible in the U.S. Donations go through Thank You Life, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
- Your gift supports scholarships. Gifts go to the Soltara Scholarship Fund, which sponsors retreats for people on our waitlist.
- Healing stays rooted in tradition. Scholarship guests receive the same care as every guest: ceremonies with Indigenous Shipibo healers from the Peruvian Amazon, a trauma-informed team, medical screening, and a full year of integration support.
We've put our own resources where our hearts are
Since opening in 2018, Soltara has offered $1,859,550 in partial and full scholarships, supporting more than 1,900 people to step into this sacred work. Reciprocity is at the heart of our mission, and scholarships have been part of who we are since the day we opened.
This year so far
- Scholarships offered by Soltara: ~$230,000
- Guests sponsored from our waitlist: 175+
- People supported through our Thank You Life fund: 45, and counting
- People still on our scholarship waitlist: 2,500+
Our waitlist is more than ten times the number of guests we've been able to sponsor this year. Most of our resources go to the team and care ecosystem that keep this work safe, so we can only help so many people on our own. That's the gap we're asking our community to help us close.
A note from our co-founder, Melissa
The world is struggling right now. So many of us feel disconnected, from ourselves, our bodies, each other, and the Earth. Old systems are crumbling, and it's easy to get lost in despair. But Indigenous wisdom teaches us that we are all connected, and that individual and collective healing are intertwined. How we help ourselves and our local communities, one person and heart at a time, ripples out to the collective. We can continue the patterns that brought us here, or we can interrupt them.
I, for one, am focused on the solutions. Every day I'm inspired by people across lands and territories who are building, sustaining and defending the ecosystems that support life. More than ever, I feel the future is integrative, collaborative and relational.
Every single week, I witness the connection and vitality that return to people after a retreat with us. The wholeness and peace that meet us on the other side of our fear or trauma. The wisdom that comes from that journey, and continues into our lives, families, and communities. The belonging that forms when a group of strangers becomes family in just five days. It is the most profound thing I have ever witnessed.
That's why we believe finances should never be the barrier to healing, or thriving. Rather than being lost in despair, we can focus our hope into action, and this partnership is one way we're doing exactly that.
With gratitude, Melissa Stangl, Co-Founder & COO, Soltara Healing Center
Help us bridge the gap
Our goal this season is to raise $250,000 for the Soltara Scholarship Fund. We're at $60,000 so far, with $190,000 to go.
Winter and the holidays are often when people struggle most. As Costa Rica enters its warm summer months and our northern community enters winter, your support can help someone reconnect with themselves, each other, Shipibo wisdom and medicine, and the natural beauty of Costa Rica.
Make a tax-deductible donation
Other ways to stand with us:
- Join us for a retreat. Every booking sustains our team, our Maestros and the care that makes scholarships possible. View retreats
- Share this post with anyone who may be called to this work, or who cares about expanding access to healing.
- Connect us with aligned partners, communities or funders who share this vision.
From our hearts to yours, thank you for paying it forward.
Frequently asked questions
Is my donation to the Soltara Scholarship Fund tax-deductible? Yes, for U.S. donors. Donations are made through Thank You Life, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
What is Thank You Life? Thank You Life is a nonprofit working to eliminate the financial barriers to psychedelic-assisted therapy through grants and scholarships. Soltara is the first Ayahuasca healing center, and the first international center, to partner with them.
Who receives an Ayahuasca retreat scholarship? Scholarships support people on our waitlist who are committed to their healing process but face financial barriers. Every guest, scholarship or not, completes our full medical and psychological intake.
How has Soltara supported scholarships so far? Since opening in 2018, Soltara has offered $1,859,550 in partial and full scholarships to more than 1,900 people, including about $230,000 so far this year.
Where do Soltara's retreats take place? At our two sanctuaries in Costa Rica: Playa Blanca on the Gulf of Nicoya, and Scarlet Valley near Carara National Park. Ceremonies are held with Indigenous Shipibo healers from the Peruvian Amazon.
How do I donate? Visit soltara.co/thankyoulife to make a tax-deductible gift.