Gary Hess is a decorated Marine Corps Infantry Officer turned national leader in the fight to end Veteran suicide. After surviving combat, moral injury, and years of ineffective treatment, Gary found healing through cannabis and psychedelic-assisted therapy—experiences that didn’t just change his life, but ignited a movement.

He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives (VAHA), a founding member and Director of Advocacy for the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition (VMHLC), and a leader behind TeleLeaf and Warrior Tribe Assembly.

Alongside his national policy work, Gary guides trauma survivors through a deeply embodied process rooted in safety, authenticity, acceptance, and agency—helping them reconnect with their bodies, process what they’ve been carrying, and come home to themselves.

His voice—grounded in lived experience—is helping reshape the future of mental health care from the inside out.