The Mensara Way
Our Mission
Our Vision
Our TeaM
OUR MISSION
We founded Mensara Institute to create spaces specifically for veterans to step away from the intensity of service and reconnect with themselves in a meaningful, lasting way. Our mission is to provide grounded, high-integrity wellness experiences that integrate mindfulness, psychology, and embodied practices to support nervous system regulation, clarity, and resilience. Through immersive retreats, we work with veterans navigating transition, stress, and the demands of high-performance environments—offering tools that translate into everyday life, leadership, and relationships.
OUR VISION
We envision a future where veterans are supported not only in their service, but in their return to themselves. A future where strength includes self-awareness, and resilience includes the ability to slow down, process, and reconnect. Mensara Institute is building a global network of retreats and experiences designed for veterans who are ready to recalibrate and move forward with clarity and purpose. Spaces where shared experience creates trust, and where individuals leave not just with insight, but with practical tools to navigate life after service with intention and alignment.
Facilitators
Kelly Fitzpatrick is a former Navy Aircrewman and intelligence analyst, speaker, and mindfulness facilitator, and the founder of Mensara Institute. Her work is informed by both lived experience and extensive academic and professional training in psychology, human behavior, and contemplative practices. She is currently completing her Master’s degree in Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Clinical Counseling at Naropa University, where her studies focus on trauma-informed care, mindfulness, and integrative approaches to mental health.
Her background also includes training in meditation, breathwork, nervous system regulation, embodiment practices, and sound-based healing modalities. Kelly has spent years working with veterans, leaders, entrepreneurs, and high-performing individuals, guiding them through experiences that support self-awareness, resilience, and personal growth.
Her approach integrates evidence-based psychology with experiential practices, creating environments that are both structured and deeply human. Through Mensara Institute, she designs and leads immersive wellness retreats and transformational experiences around the world, focused on nervous system education, mindfulness, connection, and sustainable personal development.
The Team Behind Mensara
We are a community of practitioners dedicated to high-integrity wellness for veterans. Our work is rooted in shared values of safety, consent, and choice, focusing on nervous system regulation and cultural humility. Together, we hold space for transformation and reconnection.
Team Facilitator
Alyssa
Alyssa is a U.S. Air Force veteran with more than four years of experience in the travel industry. She holds an MBA, a Master’s in Project Management, and a Master’s in Public Relations, giving her a strong foundation for creating organized, streamlined workflows and exceptional client experiences.
With a diverse professional background spanning finance, program management, and marketing, Alyssa brings a well-rounded “jack-of-all-trades” advantage to everything she does. Her true passion lies in travel and helping fellow veterans explore the world through meaningful group travel experiences.
She currently resides in her home state of Indiana with her husband and two children.
Team Facilitator
Valerie
Valerie Montgomery's journey into healing is rooted in service. As an Air Force Veteran, she experienced firsthand the demands and the costs of supporting others without adequate resources. After her military service, she channeled that understanding into a new calling, joining Brooke Army Medical Center's Department of Pain Management as a massage therapist. Working alongside physicians and patients navigating chronic pain and recovery, she developed a deep expertise in the mind-body connection—the way our emotional lives live in our bodies and our physical experiences shape our mental health.
Now, as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, Valerie offers a truly integrative, whole-person approach to care. She helps clients understand and work with the full landscape of who they are—body, mind, and spirit—to build lives of greater ease, resilience, and purpose.
Holistic Guide
Space-Holder
Guided by clinical humility and deep respect for the veteran experience, we hold space for the quiet work of recalibration.
Get in Touch
Contact Kelly Fitzpatrick
info@mensarainstitute.com