We were lucky to catch up with Vernard Hines recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Vernard thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most Meaningful Projects I have done is being a Laugh Therapist for my my military Veterans. I have been able to bring laughter to myself as well as other Veterans being a Veteran myself with combat tours to Iraq. I was asked to be a Laugh Therapist at Safe Harbor Recovery Center in Portsmouth VA. It’s a 45-day residential treatment program for Veterans. I have also performed at my local VA Hospital and various other events for Veterans and Mental Health workers. In 2022 I started a Podcast called P.T.S.D. Processing Traumatic Situations Differently. This podcast allows people to express how they have processed the trauma in their life. These are meaningful to me because it allows me to give back as well as it is my therapy. Laughter is a Healthy Dose of Therapy!

Vernard, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Vernard Hines aka The Laugh Therapist I am a native of Norfolk Va. I’m a 20-year retired U.S. Army veteran with combat tours to Iraq who battles PTSD. I am a professional comedian and a mental health advocate and trying to kill the STIGMA of seeking help one joke at a time. The name “The Laugh Therapist” was birthed from me talking to a friend about my encounter with a therapist after returning from the Iraq war. I learned I was using Laughter to hide the pain of things in my childhood and as well as things I had experienced while in Iraq, instead of dealing with the issues I would always just laugh it off. I never dealt with or confronted issues I only ran from them. This carried over into every area of my life, laughter really kept me from harming myself and thus Laughter has been and will continue to be my Therapy along with a therapist. In my standup routines, I speak about Mental Health in a way that makes it relatable by talking about my mental health struggles and how I cope. I’m most proud of that I don’t carry the Stigma of mental health anymore. I freely speak about it and will help anyone break the stigma of seeking help.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Yes, breaking the stigma of seeking help is one of my goals. I don’t care what you are doing in life there will be times when as I say life will happen and something traumatic will happen. If we don’t process that trauma correctly it can spill over to every aspect of your life. My driving mission is to help combat the number of suicides in the military community. I want Veterans to know you are not weak for seeking help you are actually strong. Seeking help takes courage.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

being able to give back and seeing that my life although not perfect is helping someone. I love that I have turned my pain into my purpose. You really start living when you find your purpose in life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thelaughtherapist.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelaughtherapist/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HealthyDoseOfTherapy/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/laughtherapist
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiW91ZOuPVliRJEELztMqEQ