Founder spotlight: Julio Gonzalez Julio Gonzalez helped found Head Strong & Ready in 2018 after more than two decades of military service in the Army National Guard and U.S. Marine Corps. His background includes service as a light infantryman, CH-46E pilot, air traffic control officer, company commander, and Marine aviation liaison, with combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through those experiences, Julio saw firsthand that mental strength was essential to combat readiness, yet mental health support was too often treated as secondary and the available resources were not enough to meet the need. He also saw the impact that untreated mental health struggles had not only on individual veterans, but on families, units, and long-term readiness. Head Strong & Ready was built in response to that gap. Since its founding, the organization has expanded access to licensed clinical mental health services for veterans, service members, and their family members. Julio’s vision remains central to the mission: mental strength is combat readiness, and readiness for life extends far beyond the battlefield.

When people hear PTSD, they often think of combat. But PTSD is more than that. It can come from: accidents loss medical experiences childhood trauma violence or witnessing something overwhelming PTSD isn’t about what happened— it’s about how your mind and body responded to it. And it can affect more people than we realize. If you or someone you care about is struggling, know this: You’re not weak. You’re not alone. And support is available. At Head Strong & Ready, we provide confidential, military-informed care for service members and their families. 📞 858-362-5331 Save this to come back to, or share it with someone who needs to hear it. #PTSDAwareness #MilitaryMentalHealth #BreakTheStigma #MentalHealthSupport #YouAreNotAlone #ActiveDutyLife #MilitaryFamilies #HeadStrongReady

PTSD doesn’t always look the way people expect. It’s not always obvious. It’s not always talked about. Sometimes it looks like: being constantly on edge struggling to sleep pulling away from people feeling numb getting irritated more easily or trying to push through—but it’s still there If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And it doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means your mind and body are trying to process something that mattered. You don’t have to keep carrying it by yourself. At Head Strong & Ready, we provide confidential, military-informed support for service members and their families—without judgment. Healing is possible. Support is available. 📞 858-362-5331 Save this or share it with someone who might need it. #PTSDAwareness #MilitaryMentalHealth #BreakTheStigma #ActiveDutyLife #VeteranSupport #MentalHealthMatters #YouAreNotAlone #HeadStrongReady