Top 75 Mental Health Speakers
- By Brendan Egan
- Aug 16, 2022
In the U.S. alone, 52.9 million adults have at least one mental health issue, and 14.2 of those adults have severe mental illness. Staying silent due to fear or embarrassment should never be an option. People should feel empowered to talk about their experiences with mental health and work towards a life of embracing self-care and seeking help when needed. Sometimes, just knowing you're not alone is one of the best ways to take one step toward improving your mental health and supporting others through their challenges.
We've created a list of the top 75 mental health speakers who have personal experience with common and less common mental illnesses ranging from anxiety and depression to PTSD and OCD. Our speakers have experienced addiction, poor self-esteem, and a myriad of other mental health issues that can knock you down and make it hard to get back up. They understand and want to share everything they've been through and learned. We're breaking the list down into in-person mental health speakers and virtual mental health speakers to make it easy to find exactly who you need.
In-Person Mental Health Speakers
Have a mental health speaker come to your location and talk to the attendees. You could hire a speaker to talk about the isolating effects of bullying to a high school class or about recognizing the signs of depression and the value of taking time for self-care in a busy workplace. No matter what you want to cover, in-person speakers come to your chosen location and offer an engaging, valuable discussion on mental health.
Mental health expert Alison Canavan is a UCLA-trained mindfulness facilitator, a master NLP practitioner, a HeartMath facilitator, and a nutritional coach. USA Today named her one of America’s top 8 transformational coaches in 2021. Alison’s workshops and keynotes introduce state-of-the-art, research-based tools that help listeners understand and transform anxiety, depression, and addiction. She believes that to create peace in our life we must carve out time for self-care and create space to heal, learn and grow. She weaves in her own unique life experiences (read bio for more) to create a truly unforgettable client experience and has wowed audiences at corporations like Deloitte and Tesco and at mental health conferences around the world.
2. Aly Raisman
Ali is best known as one of the stars of the United States Women’s National Soccer team. She is an Olympic Gold Medalist and World Cup Champion. Ali has been open about her own struggles with PTSD and has incredible insight on work-life balance, the importance of balancing a demanding job with self-care, and the state of mental health in our country. She’s very popular at mental health events and will work with event planners to make sure she provides the right mix of personal stories with broader mental health commentary to inspire your audience to take control of their own mental health and work actively to improve it every day.
Alyssa, a Licensed Medical Social Worker, is the founder and CEO of MyWellbeing, an online matchmaking service that pairs patients with therapists. In 2021, Alyssa made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. She and her team at MyWellbeing have supported more than 28 million people through mental health support and content. Alyssa is also a practicing therapist and a writer. She released her award-winning book, Somehow I Am Different , in 2016. She often speaks and writes about the intersection of tech and mental health, contributing to leading publications like Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post, and TechCrunch. Alyssa intimately understands overarching mental health trends but shares mental health tips and tricks with the tender perspective of an individual therapist. An incredible speaker for any corporate mental health event who will customize her message to fit your needs.
4. Ana Melikian
Ana hosts "The Mindset Zone" podcast, is a two-time cancer survivor, and is a highly sought-after keynote speaker on various mental health topics. Her keynote, “The Happiness Fallacy,” re-envisions and revitalizes how we think about and work with happiness for the personal and collective good, sharing that 'true happiness is a fallacy and that pursuing it is one of seven blind spots preventing us from achieving our highest potential for mental wholeness.
Arishma Singh is an Australian-based, Fiji-born Indian Keynote Speaker, Author, and Eduprenuer who believes that the next new wave of thinking requires a fusion of ancient eastern wisdom and modern western science. She is the Founder of Thrive With EFT, a company that helps high performers achieve sustainable success without compromising their wellbeing. She has over 20 years of corporate experience working and consulting for American Express, Nielsen Media, Google Australia, Pivot Software, and Experian.
Ashley holds a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of British Columbia and is a tenure-track professor at Harvard Business School. In both 2015 and 2018, she was named a “Rising Star of Behavioral Science” by the International Behavioral Exchange Ashley is an experienced, well-rounded keynote speaker who touches on mental health topics such as reducing burnout, aligning incentives with happiness, using time management to take control of personal wellbeing, and adapting to hybrid work environments. A practical, empathetic, and entertaining speaker, Ashley is a hit with all business audiences and offers a variety of insights and tools that can be easily applied to one’s own life.
7. Baron Davis
Baron Davis is a former professional basketball player for the Hornets, Warriors, Clippers, Cavaliers, and Knicks. Davis speaks to his experience battling mental health issues while starring in the NBA and brings a refreshing perspective on the power of positive psychology. Davis was one of the first NBA players to open up about mental health, inspiring the wave of current players who are open about these topics. His story has inspired millions of Americans battling mental health issues, and his NBA background makes him the ideal person to immediately command the attention and respect of even the most elite corporate audiences.
Brandon spent seven years as a Major League Baseball player who played in the 2016 World Series and is a Certified Mental Performance Mastery Coach and Precision Nutrition Certified Coach. His online training platform, Fully Equipped Athlete, equips users with the requisite tools to optimize their mind and body for performance. He speaks actively on mental health topics like dealing with change, self-care, and handling pressure. His goal is to help high achievers from all facets of life bridge the gap between performance and potential through mental skills training.
9. Brian Bogert
Brian teaches leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals how to be acutely aware of their environmental conditioning, emotional triggers, and behavioral patterns, giving them a deep understanding of why they think and feel the way they do. He opens the door to perspective, motivation, and direction by sharing with leaders how to reprogram their brains, defy their own negative thinking, and how to stop making excuses. Brian learned the wisdom of resiliency through his own early experiences with pain- his left arm detached from his body when he was run over by a truck. As a human behavior and performance coach, speaker, and business strategist, Brian disrupts the normative approach on how to create sustainable growth and lasting change personally and professionally.
10. Chef Andre Rush
Chef Rush has many titles. He’s a retired master sergeant with 23 years of service in the United States Army, a White House executive chef, and a mental health & suicide prevention advocate. Every day, Rush does 2,222 pushups as a way to promote living a healthy lifestyle. He also launched the 2222 foundation, which raises funds and awareness for those battling mental health issues with a special emphasis on serving veterans. Always well-reviewed, his keynotes blend motivational and entertaining stories with grizzled insights about mental and physical wellness. Chef Rush is a can’t miss selection for your next mental-health-focused event!
Cherylanne Skolnicki is an authority on well-being, work-life balance, and human potential. Her company, Brilliant Balance, helps professionals get the most out of work and life through compelling content, comprehensive coaching programs, and a tightly knit community. She also hosts the top-rated Brilliant Balance Podcast which reaches thousands of listeners each week with inspiring messages and practical advice. Her work and guidance have been featured in Thrive Global, The Huffington Post, Forbes, Working Mother, and Women’s Day, as well as in TV appearances on work-life balance, productivity, and purpose.
12. Chris Borland
Chris is a former NFL Linebacker with the San Francisco 49ers. In 2017, in tangent with The Center for Healthy Minds, Chris led the first scientific study of meditation with NFL players in 2017. He is also the founder of T-Mindful, a company integrating meditation into athletics. Chris is a mental health advocate who understands how a healthy mindset can positively impact one’s ability to perform at the highest level. He commands attention on the stage and is a great choice to educate any audience on the importance of mental health, as well as specific actions listeners can take to improve and maintain their own.
“Dr. Mondo” is a mental health coach for professional athletes and entertainers. With a clientele including Olympians and athletes from the NBA, NFL, MLB, and NSWL, Dr. Mondo has proven his ability to unlock human performance at its highest level and help people find their purpose. He is also the founder of the CHeatcode Foundation, a 501c3 he created to rewrite the narrative around mental health by ending the stigma about receiving support and increasing access to transformational mental health services in the most at-risk and underserved communities. Dr. Mondo approaches taboo mental health topics with a level of vulnerability, compassion, and swag unlike other mental health experts in the space. He brings mental health tactics used by some of the world's best athletes directly to you!
Dr. Regine Muradian is a licensed clinical psychologist, author, speaker, consultant and mental health advocate. In her consulting work, Dr. Regine has spearheaded a variety of workshops on mental health, positive parenting, and work-life balance. Dr. Regine has lived around the world and is fluent in English, French, Romanian, and Hebrew, and incorporates her multicultural background into mental health presentations to highlight how environmental differences produce disparate mental health outcomes. She has been featured as a mental health expert in outlets like the Huffington Post, Architectural Digest, Healthline, and Good Day LA.
14. Drew Robinson
Drew Robinson is a former MLB infielder. On April 16, 2020, Robinson survived a suicide attempt with a handgun, resulting in the loss of his senses of smell and taste, and his right eye. Drew has since retired from playing in order to work in the San Francisco Giants' Front Office as a Mental Health Advocate, where he works to create a comfortable atmosphere for players to share their mental health struggles without fear of judgment. Drew openly shares his battles and uses his platform to spread positivity and the power of vulnerability. Through sharing his personal experience- one of the widely-publicized mental health stories of the 21st century- Drew unlocks endless avenues for conversation and reflection.
15. Grant Parr
Parr is a sought-after mental performance coach and keynote speaker. He works with Olympians, college and professional athletes, and business executives and their teams on results-driven mental skills training that addresses mindset, leadership, and culture within an individual, team, and workshop setting. His areas of expertise are mindset enhancement, mindfulness, focus and awareness, mental imagery, emotional control, and success management. He believes mental performance is what separates the good from the elite and is standing by to help you or your team take the leap and develop next-level mental skills.
16. Greg Vogt
Greg Vogt is a professional keynote speaker and mental health author on a mission to share that even our greatest burdens can turn out to be blessings in the end. In his raw and transformational speeches, Greg unfolds his journey from living a typical childhood to overcoming depression, suicide attempts, and spending a year in a mental health treatment center. Greg advocates for the power of vulnerability and the importance of real relationships. In his engaging talks, he drives home the importance of seeking support and supporting those around us to do the same, the power of sharing our experiences, and the benefit of overcoming the fear that we are alone in these experiences. In addition to his advocacy for mental health, Greg works in corporate sales and is active in his church community, providing him with real-life experiences he uses to connect with audiences of any kind.
17. Ivy Watts
Ivy is a former Division II athlete and nominee for NCAA woman of the year. Though she appeared to her college peers as an athletic, high-performing individual who “had it all together,” the truth is that Ivy struggled silently every day with her mental health. After finally seeking help, Ivy dedicated herself to promoting mental wellness and reducing mental health stigma by sharing her story through public speaking and her blog, Beautifully Simply You. Ivy, who is certified in mental health first aid and has her Master's in Public Health, empowers others to speak their truths, know that they are not alone, learn the beauty of self-love, and find the strength to keep fighting for their tomorrow.
18. Jaime Komer
Jamie is an Olympic Silver Medalist and two-time world champion in Water Polo as a representative of the United States. She is now a world traveler, seeker of well-being, and advocate for finding adventure every day. Jamie focuses on guided meditation, metaphysical energy, and purposeful thinking as vehicles for improving mental health. She focuses especially on athletes transitioning from competition but uses these same principles to help employees experiencing change take charge of their mental health during periods of uncertainty. Jamie is a professional speaker who has “walked the walk” and is sure to educate, entertain, and inspire at your event!
19. Jimmy Spencer
As a sports media executive, Jimmy Spencer has built lasting and deep relationships among the world’s most influential athletes and sports influencers. He has carved out a unique path in the mental health space as co-founder of the Cheatcode Foundation, a unique organization that partners with athletes and artists to heal their traumas and in turn bring that healing into communities and spaces which lack the resources to afford or access mental wellness care. Jimmy speaks to mental health in tangible ways with practical solutions and practices. He speaks to how it plays out in both professional and personal relationships and how if not solved for, it can impede workplace culture as well as individual and team productivity. Jimmy believes all people are born inherently good and every person has a purpose, yet traumas big or small can often leave scars that show up in negative beliefs and cycles of behavior that impede our ability to succeed. An exceptional choice for corporate mental health events!
20. Kevin Briggs
Kevin is an international mental health and suicide prevention advocate. Over the course of his career as a California Highway Patrol officer patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge, Briggs, through his compassion, gentle voice, eye contact, and his innate ability of “listening to understand,” encouraged more than 200 individuals to not end their life over the course of his career. Briggs retired to dedicate his life to promoting mental health awareness across the globe through Pivotal Points, an organization he founded. In keynotes, he shares his “Listening to Understand” skills followed up with key active listening points and discusses in-depth his own personal mental health struggles and what the audience can learn from them. Briggs spends the majority of his time speaking & teaching at conferences and companies around the world.
21. Liza Pavlakos
Liza’s ability to ignite and inspire the inner fire in her audiences earned her the prestigious Golden Gavel Award and recognition as one of the Top 10 Female Speakers in the world in 2020. She overcame homelessness, abduction, intense abuse, and human trafficking, and rose from the ashes to become a highly successful entrepreneur and commanding speaker, inspiring over 100,000 audiences globally. She is also the founder of Positive Breakthroughs, an organization of highly experienced chartered psychologists, psychotherapists, counselors, and coaches. Improving mental health is a passion and commitment for Liza and her team, regardless of age, race, culture, disability, sexual orientation, or socio-economic background.
22. Lonnie Mayne
Lonnie is an internationally recognized leadership authority and award-winning keynote speaker. He’s also the author of the acclaimed book, Red Shoes Living - Stand Out for The Positive in How You Work and How You Live, a deeply meaningful philosophy that inspires us to live our best life and do our best work. He is an inspiring speaker who merges mental health with motivational ideas about how to transform oneself by focusing on positive attributes. Lonnie has worked with best-in-class companies who believe in standing out for the positive, including Microsoft, Transamerica, Bose, McDonald’s, and Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as directly with Olympians, professional athletes, politicians, and Fortune-100 executives.
23. Mariangela Abeo
Mariangela Abeo (they/them) is a mental health advocate, speaker, podcast host, and creator of the faces of fortitude movement. The movement began as a series of portraits that document the healing of those affected by suicide – providing a safe, stigma-free space both virtually and in-person for mental health and suicide to be discussed. After losing their brother over a decade ago to suicide, and surviving their own severe attempt as a teen, Mariangela initially started this movement for their own healing. The portraits caught fire online and they quickly saw a need for a safe space for others to share their stories. They are an impactful, sobering speaker on suicide prevention, depression, and other mental health topics.
24. Mark Henick
PEOPLE Magazine called Mark “one of Canada’s most prominent mental health advocates.” He's previously served on the board of the Mental Health Commission of Canada and as the youngest-ever president of a Canadian Mental Health Association division. His viral TEDx talk about the stranger who saved his life has been viewed and shared millions of times. Over the last two decades, he has appeared in hundreds of television, radio, print, and online features about mental health. Mark runs a boutique mental health media consulting firm, and he's an in-demand international keynote storyteller on recovery, resilience, and connection.
Michael Landsberg is a legendary Canadian hockey broadcaster. While interviewing a star athlete who had battled depression in 2009, Michael shared his own battles. This changed not only his life but also the lives of many Canadians who suddenly felt that they had a voice in Michael. He has gone on to become one of the world’s preeminent mental health advocates, winning awards like the Canadian Screen Awards’ Humanitarian Award and the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal. Michael is funny, irreverent, and totally committed to sharing as deeply as he can. His talks are not sanitized, not corporatized, and definitely not stigmatized. Michael’s rawness is exactly what people need to fortify their belief in themselves. He talks about everything and anything mental-health-related and works closely with event organizers to ensure his talk puts the puck in the back of the net.
26. Minna Lee
Minna is a NYC-based social media influencer and content creator focusing on wellness, mental health, and conscious living. With 30k followers on Instagram, Lee's social media presence allows her to spread positivity and awareness surrounding mental health and activism. Lee also has a Corgi named Benny, with his own Instagram page with 6.5k followers. Lee also has a blog, where she posts content surrounding life, mental health, food, and more.
27. Montee Ball
Legendary University of Wisconsin football player who was drafted by and played running back for the Denver Broncos. Throughout his career, Ball struggled with alcoholism and was often clouded by the effects of binge drinking. Following an arrest, Ball was released by the Patriots in February of 2016. Since the birth of his son, Ball has revitalized his life. He speaks on the mental frameworks he used to revitalize his life and the non-profit work he is doing now. His story is a powerful reminder that mental health struggles happen to everyone, even those who may look from the outside as though they've got it all. A humble, self-aware speaker, Montee can connect with any audience and has received rave reviews at the events he’s done so far this year.
28. Rochelle Gapere
Rochelle is the author of the Amazon bestseller One Happy Thought at a Time: 30 Days to a Happier You. An attorney, entrepreneur, happiness coach, and mental balance expert, Rochelle believes in living a life that is engaging at every level and utilizes practical techniques to teach audiences her unique approach to living a happy life. Her well-reviewed keynotes are chock-full of science-based tools and techniques that listeners can leverage to improve and better understand their mental health. A dynamo on the stage, she’s a strong choice for any mental-health or mental-health adjacent event- check out a previous engagement here!
29. Ryan Leaf
Ryan David Leaf is an advocate for those struggling with mental and behavioral health issues. He encourages audiences to transform their thought patterns on mental health issues and addiction, and is a believer in the mantra “asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness!” Ryan was once the second overall pick in the NFL Draft, right behind Peyton Manning, but battled addiction and depression and was eventually imprisoned for related choices. Today, Ryan is a leading voice in the recovery community and a college and NFL football analyst for ESPN, Westwood One Sports, and the PAC-12 Network. His redemption story is incredible, and he speaks on mental health from the perspective of someone who truly knows that it's the most important thing to get right.
30. Sara Ross
Sara and her company provide brain-based tools to decrease stress and exhaustion and increase Leadership Vitality by strengthening the skills of energy management, emotional intelligence, and resilience. Sara’s ideas and research are earning her a reputation as a fresh and thought-provoking voice in the discussions focused on mental health and the future of work. Balancing relevance and practicality with a contagious energy, Sara integrates cutting-edge science with real-life stories of success and failures. Her approach is guaranteed to challenge the status quo, provide new insights and inspiration, and most importantly, leave audiences with a blueprint of actionable strategies. She has worked with companies like Adobe, New York Life, and Verizon, and she’s often called on to work with some of the most senior, technically sophisticated, and skeptical audiences.
31. Serena Poon
Serena is a wellness expert, nutritionist, and celebrity chef for the likes of Jerry Bruckheimer, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, and Kerry Washington. Her mission is to promote further education around the mindful combination of food, nutrition, and healing intuition in what she calls “Culinary Alchemy™.” Through her focus on how food affects our bodies on a physiological level, as well as how it affects the emotional body, her goal is to support the nutritional, emotional, and spiritual well-being of her clients. In customized keynotes that can focus on her full suite of topics or mental health in particular, Serena furthers her mission of introducing new intentional methods of wellness and mindfulness to her clients and community.
Shabnam Mogharabi has nearly 20 years of experience in impact entertainment building organizations, teams, and startups. She was most recently the General Manager of SoulPancake, an inspiring entertainment company she co-founded with actor Rainn Wilson that creates positive, socially conscious videos about human connection. As a leader, she understands the importance of putting mental health first, and her track record speaks to her success in building teams in which mental health is a key value. She is a frequent speaker on the importance of joy, positive psychology, and the power of mentally healthy people to transform organizations. She speaks to the overall impacts of mental health growth and specific leadership strategies to help yourself and all those in your organization unlock their full mental potential.
33. Sheryl Ziegler
Dr. Sheryl Ziegler is a thought leader in the space of workplace mental health, burnout, stress prevention, and resiliency. She has spoken to tens of thousands of employees around the world about workplace burnout, how management can support mental wellness in the workplace, and the cost of chronic stress. Sheryl guides employees on factors known by research to create truly mentally healthy workplaces and support the people who work there. She has spoken at Intel and Salesforce, among others, and is a great choice to present on any and all mental health topics at your event. Popular in both a traditional keynote setting as well as a moderated Q&A or “Lunch and Learn” environment.
34. Tahl Raz
Tahl Raz is a bestselling author who writes and speaks widely on the big ideas in business, technology, and the social sciences that are transforming the way we work and live. Tahl’s works have been translated into over 40 languages and appeared in over 100 publications. Mental health and burnout are two of his favorite topics, and he translates his insights in the way that only one of America's top authors can. He will work directly with the event planner to make sure he delivers a tailored message that hits all the right notes.
35. Tanya L Brown
The loss of her sister Nicole Brown Simpson and her own ensuing suicide attempt has made Tanya Brown no stranger to adversity or trauma. She has made a personal commitment to speak on the issues of how to overcome adversity and promote healthy mental practices for overall well being. She encourages her audiences to find peace amid daily chaos and learn the tools for integrating self-care for a life of optimal wellness. Tanya has become a nationally recognized author, speaker, and life coach who uses the lessons from her experience with Nicole and her own suicide attempt to help others cope with life’s challenges.
36. Victoria Garrick
Victoria is a former Division I and semi-pro volleyball player turned mental health, body image, and self-love advocate. Victoria has an inspiring competitive story as an athlete- after walking on to USC’s #1 ranked team in the nation, she won a PAC-12 Championship and served two seasons as captain. During her sophomore year, she began publicly advocating for student-athlete mental health. She delivered a TEDx Talk on mental health and body-image issues faced by student-athletes, which has since garnered almost 500,000 views. Her personal story and broader commentary about mental health have received standing ovations at multiple Fortune 500 corporations, and her infectious energy and passion for authenticity inspires, motivates, and empowers audiences to become their best selves.
37. Wendy Borlabi
Dr. Wendy Borlabi (Dr. B) is currently working for the Chicago Bulls as the High Performance Coach and is the founder of Borlabi Consulting, a performance psychology firm. In presentations, she integrates elements of peak performance training utilized by NBA players and applies the principles so that they are applicable to environments in corporate and nonprofit America. She presents on mental health through the lens of sports, DEI, and motivation, bringing a true 360 view to a mental health topic or topics of your choosing.
<h3>Virtual Mental Health Speakers</h3>
Sometimes, it's difficult for people to meet in person for one reason or another. With a virtual speaker, people can attend the presentation from the comfort of their home or office. This is an excellent option if those attending are in different areas of the world, cannot afford to travel, do not want to risk their health in a crowded setting, or struggle with social anxiety and don't feel comfortable in a room full of people. Virtual presentations often empower less confident people to speak up and share their thoughts.
38. Alison Canavan
Mental health expert Alison Canavan is a UCLA-trained mindfulness facilitator, a master NLP practitioner, a HeartMath facilitator, and a nutritional coach. USA Today named her one of America’s top 8 transformational coaches in 2021. Alison’s workshops and keynotes introduce state-of-the-art, research-based tools that help listeners understand and transform anxiety, depression, and addiction. She believes that to create peace in our life we must carve out time for self-care and create space to heal, learn and grow. She weaves in her own unique life experiences (read bio for more) to create a truly unforgettable client experience and has wowed audiences at corporations like Deloitte and Tesco and at mental health conferences around the world.
39. Ali Raisman
Ali is best known as one of the stars of the United States Women’s National Soccer team. She is an Olympic Gold Medalist and World Cup Champion. Ali has been open about her own struggles with PTSD and has incredible insight on work-life balance, the importance of balancing a demanding job with self-care, and the state of mental health in our country. She’s very popular at mental health events and will work with event planners to make sure she provides the right mix of personal stories with broader mental health commentary to inspire your audience to take control of their own mental health and work actively to improve it every day.
40. Alyssa Petersel
Alyssa, a Licensed Medical Social Worker, is the founder and CEO of MyWellbeing, an online matchmaking service that pairs patients with therapists. In 2021, Alyssa made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. She and her team at MyWellbeing have supported more than 28 million people through mental health support and content. Alyssa is also a practicing therapist and a writer. She released her award-winning book, Somehow I Am Different , in 2016. She often speaks and writes about the intersection of tech and mental health, contributing to leading publications like Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post, and TechCrunch. Alyssa intimately understands overarching mental health trends but shares mental health tips and tricks with the tender perspective of an individual therapist. An incredible speaker for any corporate mental health event who will customize her message to fit your needs.
41. Ana Melikian
Ana hosts "The Mindset Zone" podcast, is a two-time cancer survivor, and is a highly sought-after keynote speaker on various mental health topics. Her keynote, “The Happiness Fallacy,” re-envisions and revitalizes how we think about and work with happiness for the personal and collective good, sharing that 'true happiness is a fallacy and that pursuing it is one of seven blind spots preventing us from achieving our highest potential for mental wholeness.
42. Arishma Singh
Arishma Singh is an Australian-based, Fiji-born Indian Keynote Speaker, Author, and Eduprenuer who believes that the next new wave of thinking requires a fusion of ancient eastern wisdom and modern western science. She is the Founder of Thrive With EFT, a company that helps high performers achieve sustainable success without compromising their wellbeing. She has over 20 years of corporate experience working and consulting for American Express, Nielsen Media, Google Australia, Pivot Software, and Experian.
43. Ashley Whillans
Ashley holds a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of British Columbia and is a tenure-track professor at Harvard Business School. In both 2015 and 2018, she was named a “Rising Star of Behavioral Science” by the International Behavioral Exchange Ashley is an experienced, well-rounded keynote speaker who touches on mental health topics such as reducing burnout, aligning incentives with happiness, using time management to take control of personal wellbeing, and adapting to hybrid work environments. A practical, empathetic, and entertaining speaker, Ashley is a hit with all business audiences and offers a variety of insights and tools that can be easily applied to one’s own life.
44. Baron Davis
Baron Davis is a former professional basketball player for the Hornets, Warriors, Clippers, Cavaliers, and Knicks. Davis speaks to his experience battling mental health issues while starring in the NBA and brings a refreshing perspective on the power of positive psychology. Davis was one of the first NBA players to open up about mental health, inspiring the wave of current players who are open about these topics. His story has inspired millions of Americans battling mental health issues, and his NBA background makes him the ideal person to immediately command the attention and respect of even the most elite corporate audiences.
45. Brandon Guyer
Brandon spent seven years as a Major League Baseball player who played in the 2016 World Series and is a Certified Mental Performance Mastery Coach and Precision Nutrition Certified Coach. His online training platform, Fully Equipped Athlete, equips users with the requisite tools to optimize their mind and body for performance. He speaks actively on mental health topics like dealing with change, self-care, and handling pressure. His goal is to help high achievers from all facets of life bridge the gap between performance and potential through mental skills training.
46. Brian Bogert
Brian teaches leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals how to be acutely aware of their environmental conditioning, emotional triggers, and behavioral patterns, giving them a deep understanding of why they think and feel the way they do. He opens the door to perspective, motivation, and direction by sharing with leaders how to reprogram their brains, defy their own negative thinking, and how to stop making excuses. Brian learned the wisdom of resiliency through his own early experiences with pain- his left arm detached from his body when he was run over by a truck. As a human behavior and performance coach, speaker, and business strategist, Brian disrupts the normative approach on how to create sustainable growth and lasting change personally and professionally.
47. Chef Andre Rush
Chef Rush has many titles. He’s a retired master sergeant with 23 years of service in the United States Army, a White House executive chef, and a mental health & suicide prevention advocate. Every day, Rush does 2,222 pushups as a way to promote living a healthy lifestyle. He also launched the 2222 foundation, which raises funds and awareness for those battling mental health issues with a special emphasis on serving veterans. Always well-reviewed, his keynotes blend motivational and entertaining stories with grizzled insights about mental and physical wellness. Chef Rush is a can’t miss selection for your next mental-health-focused event!
Cherylanne Skolnicki is an authority on well-being, work-life balance, and human potential. Her company, Brilliant Balance, helps professionals get the most out of work and life through compelling content, comprehensive coaching programs, and a tightly knit community. She also hosts the top-rated Brilliant Balance Podcast which reaches thousands of listeners each week with inspiring messages and practical advice. Her work and guidance have been featured in Thrive Global, The Huffington Post, Forbes, Working Mother, and Women’s Day, as well as in TV appearances on work-life balance, productivity, and purpose.
49. Chris Borland
Chris is a former NFL Linebacker with the San Francisco 49ers. In 2017, in tangent with The Center for Healthy Minds, Chris led the first scientific study of meditation with NFL players in 2017. He is also the founder of T-Mindful, a company integrating meditation into athletics. Chris is a mental health advocate who understands how a healthy mindset can positively impact one’s ability to perform at the highest level. He commands attention on the stage and is a great choice to educate any audience on the importance of mental health, as well as specific actions listeners can take to improve and maintain their own.
“Dr. Mondo” is a mental health coach for professional athletes and entertainers. With a clientele including Olympians and athletes from the NBA, NFL, MLB, and NSWL, Dr. Mondo has proven his ability to unlock human performance at its highest level and help people find their purpose. He is also the founder of the CHeatcode Foundation, a 501c3 he created to rewrite the narrative around mental health by ending the stigma about receiving support and increasing access to transformational mental health services in the most at-risk and underserved communities. Dr. Mondo approaches taboo mental health topics with a level of vulnerability, compassion, and swag unlike other mental health experts in the space. He brings mental health tactics used by some of the world's best athletes directly to you!
Dr. Regine Muradian is a licensed clinical psychologist, author, speaker, consultant, and mental health advocate. In her consulting work, Dr. Regine has spearheaded a variety of workshops on mental health, positive parenting and work-life balance. Dr. Regine has lived around the world and is fluent in English, French, Romanian and Hebrew, and incorporates her multicultural background into mental health presentations to highlight how environmental differences produce disparate mental health outcomes. She has been featured as a mental health expert in outlets like the Huffington Post, Architectural Digest, Healthline, and Good Day LA.
52. Drew Robinson
Drew Robinson is a former MLB infielder. On April 16, 2020, Robinson survived a suicide attempt with a handgun, resulting in the loss of his senses of smell and taste, and his right eye. Drew has since retired from playing in order to work in the San Francisco Giants' Front Office as a Mental Health Advocate, where he works to create a comfortable atmosphere for players to share their mental health struggles without fear of judgment. Drew openly shares his battles and uses his platform to spread positivity and the power of vulnerability. Through sharing his personal experience- one of the widely-publicized mental health stories of the 21st century- Drew unlocks endless avenues for conversation and reflection.
53. Grant Parr
Parr is a sought-after mental performance coach and keynote speaker. He works with Olympians, college and professional athletes, and business executives and their teams on results-driven mental skills training that addresses mindset, leadership, and culture within an individual, team, and workshop setting. His areas of expertise are mindset enhancement, mindfulness, focus and awareness, mental imagery, emotional control, and success management. He believes mental performance is what separates the good from the elite and is standing by to help you or your team take the leap and develop next-level mental skills.
54. Greg Vogt
Greg Vogt is a professional keynote speaker and mental health author on a mission to share that even our greatest burdens can turn out to be blessings in the end. In his raw and transformational speeches, Greg unfolds his journey from living a typical childhood to overcoming depression, suicide attempts, and spending a year in a mental health treatment center. Greg advocates for the power of vulnerability and the importance of real relationships. In his engaging talks, he drives home the importance of seeking support and supporting those around us to do the same, the power of sharing our experiences, and the benefit of overcoming the fear that we are alone in these experiences. In addition to his advocacy for mental health, Greg works in corporate sales and is active in his church community, providing him with real-life experiences he uses to connect with audiences of any kind.
55. Ivy Watts
Ivy is a former Division II athlete and nominee for NCAA woman of the year. Though she appeared to her college peers as an athletic, high-performing individual who “had it all together,” the truth is that Ivy struggled silently every day with her mental health. After finally seeking help, Ivy dedicated herself to promoting mental wellness and reducing mental health stigma by sharing her story through public speaking and her blog, Beautifully Simply You. Ivy, who is certified in mental health first aid and has her Master's in Public Health, empowers others to speak their truths, know that they are not alone, learn the beauty of self-love, and find the strength to keep fighting for their tomorrow.
56. Jaime Komer
Jamie is an Olympic Silver Medalist and two-time world champion in Water Polo as a representative of the United States. She is now a world traveler, seeker of well-being, and advocate for finding adventure every day. Jamie focuses on guided meditation, metaphysical energy, and purposeful thinking as vehicles for improving mental health. She focuses especially on athletes transitioning from competition but uses these same principles to help employees experiencing change take charge of their mental health during periods of uncertainty. Jamie is a professional speaker who has “walked the walk” and is sure to educate, entertain, and inspire at your event!
57. Jimmy Spencer
As a sports media executive, Jimmy Spencer has built lasting and deep relationships among the world’s most influential athletes and sports influencers. He has carved out a unique path in the mental health space as co-founder of the Cheatcode Foundation, a unique organization that partners with athletes and artists to heal their traumas and in turn bring that healing into communities and spaces which lack the resources to afford or access mental wellness care. Jimmy speaks to mental health in tangible ways with practical solutions and practices. He speaks to how it plays out in both professional and personal relationships and how if not solved for, it can impede workplace culture as well as individual and team productivity. Jimmy believes all people are born inherently good and every person has a purpose, yet traumas big or small can often leave scars that show up in negative beliefs and cycles of behavior that impede our ability to succeed. An exceptional choice for corporate mental health events!
58. Kevin Briggs
Kevin is an international mental health and suicide prevention advocate. Over the course of his career as a California Highway Patrol officer patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge, Briggs, through his compassion, gentle voice, eye contact, and his innate ability of “listening to understand,” encouraged more than 200 individuals not to end their life over the course of his career. Briggs retired to dedicate his life to promoting mental health awareness across the globe through Pivotal Points, an organization he founded. In keynotes, he shares his “Listening to Understand” skills followed up with key active listening points and discusses in-depth his own personal mental health struggles and what the audience can learn from them. Briggs spends the majority of his time speaking & teaching at conferences and companies around the world.
59. Liza Pavlakos
Liza’s ability to ignite and inspire the inner fire in her audiences earned her the prestigious Golden Gavel Award and recognition as one of the Top 10 Female Speakers in the world in 2020. She overcame homelessness, abduction, intense abuse, and human trafficking, and rose from the ashes to become a highly successful entrepreneur and commanding speaker, inspiring over 100,000 audiences globally. She is also the founder of Positive Breakthroughs, an organization of highly experienced chartered psychologists, psychotherapists, counselors, and coaches. Improving mental health is a passion and commitment for Liza and her team, regardless of age, race, culture, disability, sexual orientation, or socio-economic background.
60. Lonnie Mayne
Lonnie is an internationally recognized leadership authority and award-winning keynote speaker. He’s also the author of the acclaimed book, Red Shoes Living - Stand Out for The Positive in How You Work and How You Live, a deeply meaningful philosophy that inspires us to live our best life and do our best work. He is an inspiring speaker who merges mental health with motivational ideas about how to transform oneself by focusing on positive attributes. Lonnie has worked with best-in-class companies who believe in standing out for the positive, including Microsoft, Transamerica, Bose, McDonald’s, and Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as directly with Olympians, professional athletes, politicians, and Fortune-100 executives.
61. Mariangela Abeo
Mariangela Abeo (they/them) is a mental health advocate, speaker, podcast host, and creator of the faces of fortitude movement. The movement began as a series of portraits that document the healing of those affected by suicide – providing a safe, stigma-free space both virtually and in-person for mental health and suicide to be discussed. After losing their brother over a decade ago to suicide, and surviving their own severe attempt as a teen, Mariangela initially started this movement for their own healing. The portraits caught fire online and they quickly saw a need for a safe space for others to share their stories. They are an impactful, sobering speaker on suicide prevention, depression, and other mental health topics.
62. Mark Henick
PEOPLE Magazine called Mark “one of Canada’s most prominent mental health advocates.” He's previously served on the board of the Mental Health Commission of Canada and as the youngest-ever president of a Canadian Mental Health Association division. His viral TEDx talk about the stranger who saved his life has been viewed and shared millions of times. Over the last two decades, he has appeared in hundreds of television, radio, print, and online features about mental health. Mark runs a boutique mental health media consulting firm, and he's an in-demand international keynote storyteller on recovery, resilience, and connection.
Michael Landsberg is a legendary Canadian hockey broadcaster. While interviewing a star athlete who had battled depression in 2009, Michael shared his own battles. This changed not only his life, but also the lives of many Canadians who suddenly felt that they had a voice in Michael. He has gone on to become one of the world’s preeminent mental health advocates, winning awards like the Canadian Screen Awards’ Humanitarian Award and the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal. Michael is funny, irreverent, and totally committed to sharing as deeply as he can. His talks are not sanitized, not corporatized, and definitely not stigmatized. Michael’s rawness is exactly what people need to fortify their belief in themselves. He talks about everything and anything mental-health-related and works closely with event organizers to ensure his talk puts the puck in the back of the net.
64. Minna Lee
Minna Lee is a NYC-based social media influencer and content creator focusing on wellness, mental health, and conscious living. With 30k followers on Instagram, Lee's social media presence allows her to spread positivity and awareness surrounding mental health and activism. Lee also has a Corgi named Benny, with his own Instagram page with 6.5k followers. Lee also has a blog, where she posts content surrounding life, mental health, food, and more.
65. Montee Ball
Legendary University of Wisconsin football player who was drafted by and played running back for the Denver Broncos. Throughout his career, Ball struggled with alcoholism and was often clouded by the effects of binge drinking. Following an arrest, Ball was released by the Patriots in February of 2016. Since the birth of his son, Ball has revitalized his life. He speaks on the mental frameworks he used to revitalize his life and the non-profit work he is doing now. His story is a powerful reminder that mental health struggles happen to everyone, even those who may look from the outside as though they've got it all. A humble, self-aware speaker, Montee can connect with any audience and has received rave reviews at the events he’s done so far this year.
66. Rochelle Gapere
Rochelle is the author of the Amazon bestseller One Happy Thought at a Time: 30 Days to a Happier You. An attorney, entrepreneur, happiness coach, and mental balance expert, Rochelle believes in living a life that is engaging at every level and utilizes practical techniques to teach audiences her unique approach to living a happy life. Her well-reviewed keynotes are chock-full of science-based tools and techniques that listeners can leverage to improve and better understand their mental health. A dynamo on the stage, she’s a strong choice for any mental-health or mental-health adjacent event- check out a previous engagement here!
67. Ryan Leaf
Ryan David Leaf is an advocate for those struggling with mental and behavioral health issues. He encourages audiences to transform their thought patterns on mental health issues and addiction, and is a believer in the mantra “asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness!” Ryan was once the second overall pick in the NFL Draft, right behind Peyton Manning, but battled addiction and depression and was eventually imprisoned for related choices. Today, Ryan is a leading voice in the recovery community and a college and NFL football analyst for ESPN, Westwood One Sports, and the PAC-12 Network. His redemption story is incredible, and he speaks on mental health from the perspective of someone who truly knows that it's the most important thing to get right.
68. Sara Ross
Sara and her company provide brain-based tools to decrease stress and exhaustion and increase Leadership Vitality by strengthening the skills of energy management, emotional intelligence, and resilience. Sara’s ideas and research are earning her a reputation as a fresh and thought-provoking voice in the discussions focused on mental health and the future of work. Balancing relevance and practicality with a contagious energy, Sara integrates cutting-edge science with real-life stories of success and failures. Her approach is guaranteed to challenge the status quo, provide new insights and inspiration, and most importantly, leave audiences with a blueprint of actionable strategies. She has worked with companies like Adobe, New York Life, and Verizon, and she’s often called on to work with some of the most senior, technically sophisticated and skeptical audiences.
69. Serena Poon
Serena is a wellness expert, nutritionist, and celebrity chef for the likes of Jerry Bruckheimer, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, and Kerry Washington. Her mission is to promote further education around the mindful combination of food, nutrition, and healing intuition in what she calls “Culinary Alchemy™.” Through her focus on how food affects our bodies on a physiological level, as well as how it affects the emotional body, her goal is to support the nutritional, emotional, and spiritual well-being of her clients. In customized keynotes that can focus on her full suite of topics or mental health in particular, Serena furthers her mission of introducing new intentional methods of wellness and mindfulness to her clients and community.
Shabnam Mogharabi has nearly 20 years of experience in impact entertainment building organizations, teams, and startups. She was most recently the General Manager of SoulPancake, an inspiring entertainment company she co-founded with actor Rainn Wilson that creates positive, socially conscious videos about human connection. As a leader, she understands the importance of putting mental health first, and her track record speaks to her success in building teams in which mental health is a key value. She is a frequent speaker on the importance of joy, positive psychology, and the power of mentally healthy people to transform organizations. She speaks to the overall impacts of mental health growth and specific leadership strategies to help yourself and all those in your organization unlock their full mental potential.
71. Sheryl Ziegler
Dr. Sheryl Ziegler is a thought leader in the space of workplace mental health, burnout, stress prevention, and resiliency. She has spoken to tens of thousands of employees around the world about workplace burnout, how management can support mental wellness in the workplace, and the cost of chronic stress. Sheryl guides employees on factors known by research to create truly mentally healthy workplaces and support the people who work there. She has spoken at Intel and Salesforce, among others, and is a great choice to present on any and all mental health topics at your event. Popular in both a traditional keynote setting as well as a moderated Q&A or “Lunch and Learn” environment.
72. Tahl Raz
Tahl Raz is a bestselling author who writes and speaks widely on the big ideas in business, technology, and the social sciences that are transforming the way we work and live. Tahl’s works have been translated into over 40 languages and appeared in over 100 publications. Mental health and burnout are two of his favorite topics, and he translates his insights in the way that only one of America's top authors can. He will work directly with the event planner to make sure he delivers a tailored message that hits all the right notes.
73. Tanya L Brown
The loss of her sister Nicole Brown Simpson and her own ensuing suicide attempt has made Tanya Brown no stranger to adversity or trauma. She has made a personal commitment to speak on the issues of how to overcome adversity and promote healthy mental practices for overall well being. She encourages her audiences to find peace amid daily chaos and learn the tools for integrating self-care for a life of optimal wellness. Tanya has become a nationally recognized author, speaker, and life coach who uses the lessons from her experience with Nicole and her own suicide attempt to help others cope with life’s challenges.
74. Victoria Garrick
Victoria is a former Division I and semi-pro volleyball player turned mental health, body image, and self-love advocate. Victoria has an inspiring competitive story as an athlete- after walking on to USC’s #1 ranked team in the nation, she won a PAC-12 Championship and served two seasons as captain. During her sophomore year, she began publicly advocating for student-athlete mental health. She delivered a TEDx Talk on mental health and body-image issues faced by student-athletes, which has since garnered almost 500,000 views. Her personal story and broader commentary about mental health have received standing ovations at multiple Fortune 500 corporations, and her infectious energy and passion for authenticity inspires, motivates, and empowers audiences to become their best selves.
75. Wendy Borlabi
Dr. Wendy Borlabi (Dr. B) is currently working for the Chicago Bulls as the High Performance Coach and is the founder of Borlabi Consulting, a performance psychology firm. In presentations, she integrates elements of peak performance training utilized by NBA players and applies the principles so that they are applicable to environments in corporate and nonprofit America. She presents on mental health through the lens of sports, DEI, and motivation, bringing a true 360 view to a mental health topic or topics of your choosing.
Take the important step towards building strong support systems at the workplace, in a classroom, or within your group or facility. Educate and support those who need it the most at your school, business, or organization. With a motivational speaker's relatable personal stories, you can help others better understand the challenges that come from mental illness and the steps that everyone can take to lift themselves and others up. Whether it's a virtual mental health speaker or an in-person speaker you need, our top 75 mental health speakers understand what helps others learn the value of self-care and empowerment.
