Professional Speakers Bureau International

Author/TEDx Speaker/Board of Suicide Prevention

Executive Director of Half a Sorrow Foundation

dennis Gillan

TOPICS - • Adversity • Challenge • Corporate Wellness

• Employee Morale • Mental Health  • Mental Wellness

• Obstacles • Resilience • Self Improvement

• Suicide Prevention

dennis gillan - PROGRAMS

Keynotes

  • Journey Towards Recovery
  • Surviving a Suicide Loss x2
  • Our Executive Director’s Personal Journey  of Recovery from the Losses of Two Brothers to Suicide
  • Three steps anyone can learn to help prevent suicide.

Training Programs

  • Learn and practice powerful, life-saving skills in just four hours.
  • LivingWorks ASIST has been empowering people to provide skilled, life-saving interventions for over 35 years.
  • Equipping faith community leaders to minister to those impacted by suicide.
  • Postvention refers to activities that reduce risk and promote healing after a suicide death.
  • A simple to use positive coping mechanism developed by the Half a Sorrow Foundation.
  • Encourages men to gather and connect with one another.

We improve mental health for individuals and organizations by promoting real conversations.

"Dennis Gillan has an important message that needs to be heard. He shares his personal, hard, difficult story with such raw honesty. Yet, he is a gifted and entertaining speaker that interjects humor in appropriate and timely ways. I highly recommend Dennis Gillan to come speak to your group or organization."

Rev. Rhett Sanders, Pastor of Blythewood Presbyterian Church

"Dennis came to our campus in the Fall of 2017 and shared his personal story of the loss of his 2 brothers to suicide.  He shared the impact it had on his life and offered hope, encouragement, and resources to our students who may have personal experience in this area.  He connected well with our students and captured their attention with his straight forward and honest presentation.  He spoke on a very “heavy” and difficult subject, suicide, but the message was one of hope and encouragement.  Dennis was a great addition to our speaking schedule and I wouldn’t hesitate to have him back again."

Dr. Wendi Santee, Vice President of Student Success

“Dennis Gillan is effective in tearing down the walls of silence which long have surrounded the issue of mental health, especially depression and suicide.  His approach is gentle, testimonial, and even sometimes humorous.  Several students made the decision to seek help through Counseling Services following his presentation at Gardner-Webb University.”

 Grace and peace,"

Tracy C. Jessup, Vice President for Christian Life and Service; Senior Minister to the University

dennis gillan - BIOGRAPHY

Dennis Gillan is a national thought leader on the topic of suicide prevention and mental health advocacy. Dennis has been deeply touched by suicide after the loss of both of his brothers to suicide, eleven years apart. Dennis worked on the suicide prevention hotline and is a TEDx speaker. Dennis is an author, and the executive director of a non-profit called the Half a Sorrow Foundation. The mission of the Half a Sorrow Foundation is to improve mental health by promoting real conversations. Dennis’s keynote talk definitely promotes real conversations, and he combines his losses with real-world solutions and learnings.

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dennis gillan - MEDIA

Nice Shoes!

A little compliment can go a long way


This important and positive book is a perfect way for parents, teachers, and caregivers to open a dialog with children ages 4–10 about having a bad day and also how they can brighten the day of someone else who might really need it.Derek is having a really bad day. Nothing is going right at home or at school, and nobody is noticing his awesome new shoes. His day is turning out so rough that he just wants this day and all of his days to end... or so he thinks. Then one kind word from a very popular kid at school, Carlos, changes everything. A kind word really does go a long way. Life always has its ups and downs, good days and bad. Sometimes dark thoughts can overwhelm us, especially children. This important and positive book is a perfect way for parents, teachers, and caregivers to open a dialog with children ages 4–10 about having a bad day and also about how they can brighten the day of someone else who might really need it. Based on a true story.

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