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Kevin Breel  

Stand Up Comic & Mental Health Activist

Kevin Breel is a 20 year old comedian and mental health activist.

As a stand up comic, Kevin is one of the youngest feature acts in Canadian history; performing all over the west coast as a 19 year old.

As a mental health activist, he's spoken to thousands of young people and been seen on The Huffington Post, MTV, CNN and The TODAY Show on NBC.

His speech at TEDx as a 19 year old titled "Confessions of a Depressed Comic" went instantly viral online- with more than half a million views in less than 30 days.

Within three months, it had been seen on media outlets all around the world and was the most viewed TED "Youth" talk of all time; with more than 1,000,000 views.

Now, it's one of the most watched TED talks ever- along side talks from the likes of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Sir Ken Robinson.

Bringing warmth, humour and unparalleled honesty in to topics people tend not to talk about, Kevin has become an in demand speaker and performer at schools all over North America.

Combining comedy with an extremely honest and hopeful conversation about mental health, Kevin shares personal stories from the stage and opens up about issues that are affecting so many and yet being talked about by so few.

Currently, Kevin is on an international speaking tour in 2013-14.

Speech Topics


Hope, Help, Community and Questions

Audience: Parents and Educators

Length: 35 mins keynote 25 mins Q and A

As a high school student just three years ago, Kevin offers an authentic and relatable experience of a young person dealing with different mental health issues.

Bringing warmth and unparalleled honesty into a topic people tend not to talk about, Kevin offers a heartfelt dialogue about mental health, offering hope, and finding help.

With suicide and self injury statistics at all new heights, Kevin talks about how to bridge the gap between feeling hurt and getting help and how to connect with your student or kid who might be struggling with depression, addiction, self injury or suicide.

Offering an inspiring look in to the real stories behind the statistics of suicide and the amazing stories of hope, help, and recovery he has witnessed, Kevin dives in to deep waters and sheds new light on how to best tackle these tough topics.

As a mental health activist, Kevin brings his experience of advising multiple different non profits and community programs about the top ways to connect with teens and young adults with mental health issues in to his talk.

In a short keynote, Kevin aims to open up an honest and heart felt dialogue about mental health befogging diving in to in depth and detailed questions in the half hour Q and A period.

Topics addressed in this talk:

  • understanding the severity of mental health in young people

  • dealing with depressed or at risk young people

  • encouraging teens and young adults to get help the right way

  • how to have a dialogue with your student or child about mental health

  • things educators and parents can do to create a health community

  • how to find the right kind of help for your young person and how to encourage them to be honest with you

  • how you can empower young people to reach for hope and seek help during tough seasons in their life

Hope, Help, Community and Questions

Audience: Parents and Educators

Length: 35 mins keynote 25 mins Q and A

As a high school student just three years ago, Kevin offers an authentic and relatable experience of a young person dealing with different mental health issues.

Bringing warmth and unparalleled honesty into a topic people tend not to talk about, Kevin offers a heartfelt dialogue about mental health, offering hope, and finding help.

With suicide and self injury statistics at all new heights, Kevin talks about how to bridge the gap between feeling hurt and getting help and how to connect with your student or kid who might be struggling with depression, addiction, self injury or suicide. Offering an inspiring look in to the real stories behind the statistics of suicide and the amazing stories of hope, help, and recovery he has witnessed, Kevin dives in to deep waters and sheds new light on how to best tackle these tough topics.

As a mental health activist, Kevin brings his experience of advising multiple different non profits and community programs about the top ways to connect with teens and young adults with mental health issues in to his talk.

In a short keynote, Kevin aims to open up an honest and heart felt dialogue about mental health befogging diving in to in depth and detailed questions in the half hour Q and A period.

Topics addressed in this talk:

  • understanding the severity of mental health in young people

  • dealing with depressed or at risk young people

  • encouraging teens and young adults to get help the right way

  • how to have a dialogue with your student or child about mental health

  • things educators and parents can do to create a health community

  • how to find the right kind of help for your young person and how to encourage them to be honest with you

  • how you can empower young people to reach for hope and seek help during tough seasons in their life

Stand Up to Mental Health

Audience: High School and College- Length: 45 mins.

Bringing warmth and unparalleled honesty in to a topic people tend not to talk about, Kevin delivers a hilarious and heartfelt dialogue about mental health. Opening up with humour before diving in to difficult topics of in to the issues of depression, self injury, suicide and addiction., Kevin brings an uplifting perspective and an empowering message of honesty, hope, and help. Inviting and encouraging others in to having an honest conversation around the things people tend not to talk about, Kevin is a beacon of hope for any young person struggling with a mental health issue.

And, with suicide as the third leading cause of death in people between 15-24, there are a lot of young people struggling with mental health issues. But so much gets lost in the numbers and the term "suicide prevention".

Kevin brings honesty and humanity to the real stories of people that lay behind the statistics. In a way that is eye opening and inspiring, Kevin talks about how we can create positive change in the mental health communities and encourage honest conversations. Bringing an uplifting, empowering, and inspiring energy to topics people tend not to talk about, Kevin is a one of a kind speaker and performer.

Topics addressed in this talk:

  • what mental health is

  • how to understand and help a friend who might be dealing with depression addiction, self injury or suicide

  • acceptance, self love, and empathy for others

  • how to find hope and find help during difficult seasons in your life

  • how to handle adversity, pain, and be resilient in tough times

  • encouraging honest conversations and finding a sense of community in your school and in your life

  • knowing when and where to seek help and how to ask for it

  • becoming educated on how mental health role in society and school

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