Clean Comedy. Real Life. Serious Laughter.
Vernard T. Hines, better known as “The Laugh Therapist,” is a clean comedian, comedic speaker, author, and retired U.S. Army Sergeant First Class who has learned one thing for sure: Life is going to happen so you better learn how to laugh somewhere in the middle of it.
Vernard’s comedy comes straight from real life—marriage, family, getting older, church, military life, relationships, kids, and those everyday situations that make you look around and think, “You can't make this stuff up!” His comedy is clean, relatable, energetic, and built around storytelling. You don't have to worry about being embarrassed because you brought your pastor, your boss, your spouse, or your mother to the show. Vernard believes you can be clean and still be hilarious.

From Sergeant First Class to The Laugh Therapist
Before becoming The Laugh Therapist, Vernard spent more than 20 years serving in the United States Army, retiring as a Sergeant First Class after a military career that included two tours in Iraq. The military gave him plenty of material, but it also gave him a different perspective on laughter.
Vernard discovered that humor wasn't just something he used to entertain people. Laughter helped him connect with people, deal with difficult moments, and find some light during some very dark seasons of life. That's where the philosophy behind The Laugh Therapist began: “Laughter is a Healthy Dose of Therapy.”
It doesn't mean laughter fixes everything. It means sometimes a good laugh gives you enough room to breathe, reset, connect, and keep moving.

Comedy People Can See Themselves In
Vernard isn't interested in standing onstage simply telling one joke after another. He tells stories. And somewhere in those stories, you're probably going to recognize your spouse, your family, somebody from church, somebody you served with or yourself.
That's what makes his comedy connect. Whether he's talking about being married, surviving family gatherings, getting older, military life, church culture, or trying to understand how the world keeps changing around him, Vernard finds the funny in experiences people actually live. And sometimes the biggest laugh comes from realizing, “I thought I was the only one!”

More Than a Comedian
Vernard also brings his humor into the world of comedic speaking, combining laughter with meaningful conversations about resilience, leadership, relationships, veterans' experiences, stress, and mental and emotional wellness. The comedy gets people laughing. The stories get people listening. And the message gives them something to take home.
He is also the author of Laughing in the Dark; Healing in the Light: A Veteran's Journey from PTSD to Purpose through the Power of Laughter, where he shares more of the journey behind the man audiences know as The Laugh Therapist.
Together with his wife, Trish Hines, Vernard co-leads United on Purpose Marriage Coaching a faith-based, family-focused program designed to help couples build stronger, healthier, blended, and God-centered relationships. Their work draws from real-life marriage and family experiences to encourage couples to communicate, reconnect, and remain united on purpose.

Bring The Laugh Therapist to Your Audience
From comedy clubs and churches to corporate events, conferences, military and veteran organizations, nonprofits, private celebrations, and community events, Vernard knows how to connect with different audiences while staying true to his style.
No profanity. No shock comedy. No compromising funny. Just real life, great storytelling, and serious laughter.

Because when Vernard T. Hines takes the stage, the goal is simple: Make them laugh. Make it relatable. And leave them feeling better than when they came in.