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Guest Speaker Series
Join us on the 1st Thursday of the month at 6:30pm via Zoom for our NAMI Boston Guest Speaker Series.
In collaboration with NAMI Boston, the MBRLC hosts guest speaker events each month via Zoom. Our inspiring and enlightening guest speakers are people with lived and living experience who showcase their knowledge, offer mental health resources, and share their journey and experiences of healing.
The meetings are free and open to the public. All are welcome!
Learn more about the NAMI Boston Guest Speaker Series, including our past speakers at
https://namiboston.org/events/category/speaker-series
Our Guest Speaker Series uses the same Zoom ID each month:
Join our Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 969 8487 4345
Upcoming Guest Speakers
July 3rd, 2025
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Lawrence Harris
Lawrence Harris is a 19-year-old Youth Empowerment Speaker who helps teens and young adults break through limiting beliefs and build lives rooted in confidence, resilience, and mental wellness. As someone who is autistic and a survivor of childhood abuse and C-PTSD, Lawrence brings a raw, relatable, and powerful presence to every stage he steps on.
His story is proof that no matter where you start, healing and growth are possible—and worth the work.
With four years of speaking experience, Lawrence has inspired thousands through school assemblies, youth events, and mental health panels. His message connects deeply with students, educators, and youth advocates alike, offering practical tools and real hope for anyone fighting internal battles they rarely speak about.
Description of Talk: Think Different, Feel Different, Live Different
A practical, emotionally grounded experience that helps teens and young adults transform their mindset from survival mode to self-leadership. Through the lens of lived experience—navigating trauma, autism, and the internal battle of limiting beliefs—I break down how thought patterns affect emotional regulation and long-term decision-making. The talk equips youth with tools to reframe their thinking, shift their emotional responses, and take active steps toward personal growth and clarity.
THINK DIFFERENT – The first segment addresses internal dialogue, mental habits, and the roots of negative self-perception. I introduce common limiting beliefs and provide practical reframing techniques that help young people to disrupt these thought cycles.
FEEL DIFFERENT – This section dives into the emotional weight teens carry, how it connects to mindset, and how to build emotional intelligence as well as offering tangible tools to navigate shame, anxiety, and disconnection.
LIVE DIFFERENT – The final segment focuses on identity ownership and long-term behavior change. Audiences learn how consistent mindset shifts lead to new actions, greater self-trust, and the ability to make empowered life decisions—even when circumstances are hard.
For more information email howarddtrachtman@gmail.com
or go to: https://namiboston.org/event/psan-recovery-speaker-series-lawrence-harris/
Thursday June 5th, 2025
6:30-7:30pm
Opening Doors to the Arts
Join us for our next monthly Speaker Series, where Hilary, Michael and Howard of "Opening Doors to the Arts" will discuss how the program connects people to the arts and share their powerful recovery stories.
Through "Opening Doors to the Arts", participants receive free and discounted tickets to concerts, theater performances, and more.
Learn more at openingdoorstothearts.org!
For more information email howarddtrachtman@gmail.com
or go to: namiboston.org/event/psan-recovery-speaker-series-opening-doors-to-the-arts/
Past Guest Speakers
May 1st, 2025
Center of Excellence for Psychosocial and Systemic Research
Massachusetts General Brigham Hospital
Capturing the Experience of Certified Peer Specialists in Healthcare Systems in Massachusetts
March 6th, 2025
Christopher Laureano, CPS
Director of the Recovery Education and Learning (REAL) Program at Bay Cove Human Services.
December 5th, 2024
Justin Coonan, CPS
Program Director of the SERLC Fall River Recovery Connection Center
Our Guest Speaker Series uses the same Zoom ID each month:
Join our Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 969 8487 4345
https://bostonmedicalcenter.zoom.us/j/96984874345
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For more information on upcoming and past speakers, please go to the NAMI Boston website.
https://namiboston.org/events/category/speaker-series/
Contact Howard Trachtman at howarddtrachtman@gmail.com for more information or to be a guest speaker.