Biography

Zach Skiles, Psy.D., first experienced psilocybin in 2001 while stationed in Okinawa, Japan in the United States Marine Corps. Not long after this experience, he found himself invading Iraq, navigating combat operations and PTSD, which ultimately led to a transformative journey as a therapist helping veterans within his community. Dr. Skiles was trained as a clinical psychologist with the Northern California VA and Northern Arizona VA Health Care Systems, while also facilitating psychedelic-assisted therapies for individuals & groups of US Special Forces communities at The Mission Within. As a postdoctoral fellow with the Translational Psychedelic Research program at UCSF, Dr. Skiles went on to facilitate psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for veterans as the primary therapist at the Portland VA with psilocybin-assisted therapy for methamphetamine use disorder and MDMA-assisted group psychotherapy for PTSD. He is currently the resident psychologist and facilitator for Heroic Hearts Project's psilocybin and ayahuasca retreats, 5-MeO-DMT ceremonies with Illuminating Heroes, and a therapist and facilitator for The Mission Within's regiment of ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT serving individuals and groups within the veteran community.