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Helen M. Farrell      

Award-Winning Harvard Psychiatrist, TEDx Speaker & Writer

Helen M. Farrell, M.D. is an enthusiastic and experienced medical professional, board-certified psychiatrist, writer, and speaker. Dr. Farrell works in private practice in Boston, MA.

She frequently contributes expert psychiatric commentary to the media and press. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Psychology Today, NPR’s CommonHealth Blog, Psychiatric Times and KevinMD.com. Dr. Farrell cares deeply about disseminating credible expert commentary on mental health, forensics, and wellness.

Dr. Farrell gained recognition for her original JAMA article, “A House Built Out of Madness,” which sought to overcome stereotypes of mental illness. Dr. Farrell’s 2015 TEDx Talk, “Creating Hope for Mental Health,” has been viewed across the globe and is transforming perceptions of mental illness from stigma into acceptance. Dr. Farrell served on the Harvard Medical School faculty for over a decade, where she was an award-winning lecturer.

Dr. Farrell is a medical graduate of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. There, she was initially moved by the lyrical and sensitive prose of literary geniuses whose writings gave mental illness an acceptable voice.

Speech Topics


Dr. Farrell’s TEDx Talk on Creating Hope for Mental Health, has been viewed across the globe and is making an impact on reducing the stigma associated with mental illness. Her message is clear, “a mental illness might alter one’s trajectory. But it does not have to define it.” Dr. Farrell believes that mental health needs to be discussed more openly and understood by all. Following the widespread success of her TEDx Talk, Dr. Farrell is currently working on a script for animation about depression that will further aim to educate and entertain the public. She speaks on a diverse range of topics including:

  • Addiction and Recovery
  • Maximize Career Performance
  • Emotional Regulation
  • Preventing Burnout and Stress
  • The Art of Feedback
  • Professional Growth and Leadership

Dr. Farrell blends the art of storytelling with informative content and optimism. She believes that good mental health is essential to peak performance, stamina, and triumph.

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