Public Speaking
Formats:
Talks & Lectures (in person)
Workshop Creation & Facilitation (in-person)
Advocacy & Representation (radio, etc.)
Themes and Content:
Mental Illness
Resilience & Obstacles
Identity, & Privilege
Health & Embodiment
Tools Provided:
Exploratory Personal Writing
Spirituality & Mental Reframing
Embodiment & Bipolar Disorder
Mindfulness
Guided Meditation
(with 12+ years of daily, concentration style meditation practice)
_
Link to a talk I gave for NAMI Marin about my story of mental health recovery:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVbukqI7VyM&t=5s
(I am currently an active member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Marin Chapter's Speaker's Bureau and a participant in the NAMI New York City poetry workshop.)
Link to show description for One-Woman Comedy show about bipolar recovery, created, directed, & performed by me for SoloCom Festival NYC 2024 at The People's Improv Theater
This show was a HUGE and really, really cool endeavor, resulting in a great debut performance and a full 50 page tech script. I will be posting much more from this debut and about this show as time goes on! Check back for more, and check my YouTube page as well for further info and clips of the show.
(Fun fact, it included two acapella original musical numbers.)
And, very excited about any potential booking opportunities for speaking or workshop requests. As mentioned above, I have various forms and formats that I am comfortable offering, all of which have specific background and experience to support.
I have co-facilitated a writing for health and healing workshop, while completing my graduate degree in Narrative Medicine writing. With an undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Biology, and a small amount of direct experience in public health curriculum and internships, I am totally comfortable and equipped to provide support around mental health across generations.
[Please note that I do not have any experience with depression nor suicidality, nor relevant perspectives to offer in any format -- but have spent more than 12 years in a daily, silent sitting meditation practice, which directly helped me overcome my experiences of panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, though I still live with other diagnoses, current day.]
In a time where mental health is increasingly forefront, and scrolling is (in all of my opinions, perspectives, and knowledge) the primary culprit for a divided, dissociative, and uncomfortable reality -- I am glad to be highly qualified to help in this exact area.
If you are interested in my speaking or facilitation offerings, please send me an email at abby.laporte@gmail.com
If you do not hear back within 5 days, at most, please send me another email!!
I will always respond to any booking inquiries, but I may not notice the email somehow, or it might get filled into another inbox.
Thank you for understanding and I look forward to hearing about your event, location, or speaker needs, whatever they may be :)
Note that transit fees are always applicable, due to my own current limitations, and the nature of the job.
Nonetheless, if you think you have an opportunity that could use a workshop or speaker, but do not have the funds, I may have the option to happily volunteer, pro-bono (so to speak,) for the speaking or workshop fees, if at all possible! The cause is always more important (as long as I can more literally physically get there). [Not available for any virtual or digital offerings or needs.]
With much gratitude,
Abby L.