speaking
Beneath the Surface: The Pain Killing Our Kids
Description: Teen suicide, drug overdoses, eating disorders, and mental health crises are rising at a devastating rate—and behind the statistics is one universal truth: pain. In this powerful and emotionally resonant keynote, Amy Kathleen Lee takes audiences beneath the surface of the youth mental health crisis to reveal what so often goes unseen. Drawing from her lived experience as a suicide loss survivor and parent of a teen who attempted suicide, Amy combines storytelling, student art, and cutting-edge research to expose the hidden pain driving this epidemic—and the hope that can still be restored.
Through the power of personal stories, attendees will:
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Reframe youth suicide, substance use, and emotional crises as expressions of unresolved pain.
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Equip adults to take meaningful action before a teen reaches crisis.
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Discover the power of confidently initiating mental health conversations as a solution, not to be dreaded.
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Gain real-life insights that turn talk into a walk of saving lives.
After this presentation, attendees will see the crisis from a new perspective and understand their role in initiating conversations that bridge youth out of isolation into connection.
Audience fit: Keynote for Parents, Educators, and Youth-Serving Adults
from the wounds to the woman i am
Description: In this deeply personal keynote, Amy shares her journey through an eating disorder, abuse, bipolar disorder, PTSD, suicidality, and the redemptive process that turned her wounds into scars. With raw honesty and a message rooted in hope, Amy invites audiences to reframe their own stories: from evidence of damage to proof of survival. Through storytelling and reflection, she reveals how healing isn’t about erasing what hurt us but about reclaiming it, integrating it, and allowing it to guide how we show up for ourselves and each other.
In this talk, Amy defines:
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Transformation Through Truth – Learn how owning your story can move you from wounds and shame to who you are meant to be.
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The Wound-to-Scar Framework – Understand the healing process as a continuum: from what happened to you, to your healed, authentic self.
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Hope in the Aftermath – Discover how scars can become a guiding light for others still fighting to survive.
Ideal for conferences, recovery events, survivor gatherings, universities, and organizations focused on trauma recovery, mental health, or empowerment.
My story is the bridge that helps them walk out of their wounds, shows them it is possible, and inspires them to take the next step.
Amy's Message
"You are not alone. Let my story be your guide. When I am speaking, the goal for my audience is, and always will be, for them to walk away from my speaking engagements knowing more about themselves and their own story. I use what's called the mirror method. I tell my audience I hope to be a mirror for them to see inside their own lives so they can walk out knowing more about themselves. I encourage people to use my story as a guide, or roadmap of sorts, to help them navigate their own."
trusted by schools and organizations
What Other Speakers Are Saying...
“This makes me wish I had an event to book you to speak at. You’re touching on a lot of the topics that I’m planning on speaking to as well - but you’re modeling a way of speaking about complexity that is lovely, and simple, and clear, and compassionate. I’m going to be following your work.”
