Lara Rebecca

Award-Winning Mental Health Speaker & Host of Keep Smiling Podcast

  • Founder of The Keep Smiling Collective
  • TEDx Speaker
  • Advocate for Eating Disorder Awareness
  • Featured on BBC, ITV, and Channel 4

When Lara Rebecca is booked for events, they are known to discuss the following speaking topics:

Lived Experience: Rebuilding After Anorexia
Destigmatising Eating Disorders: Raising Awareness and Shifting Perceptions
Wellbeing and Mental Health: The Ongoing Journey
Growing from Adversity: How Challenges Can Shape Us for the Better
Building a Balanced, Health Lifestyle

Lara Rebecca is an award-winning mental health speaker, advocate, and podcast host who has dedicated her life to using her personal experiences to educate and inspire others. Known for her raw yet uplifting approach, she speaks with passion on a range of topics, including eating disorder awareness, mental health, well-being, and transforming adversity into purpose. Lara’s relatable and human perspective allows audiences to connect with her deeply, making her a sought-after keynote speaker in both educational and corporate settings.

At the age of 16, Lara faced a life-threatening battle with anorexia nervosa, which began as a coping mechanism for anxiety and depression. What followed were years of hospitalisation and a difficult recovery journey. Her struggle became a profound source of personal growth, and it was through these challenging experiences that she realised her calling to help others facing similar battles. Lara’s journey of overcoming adversity and her ability to turn her pain into purpose are central themes in her work, making her message one of hope and resilience.

In recent years, Lara has achieved significant recognition for her work. She is the host of the popular “Keep Smiling Podcast,” where she tackles topics such as mental health, mindset, and personal growth through candid conversations. In 2023, Lara launched The Keep Smiling Collective, an organisation dedicated to mental health awareness, education and promoting positivity. Her upcoming TEDx talk, will allow her to share her story on a global platform, a milestone that further cements her influence as a mental health advocate. Lara’s media presence includes appearances on major platforms such as BBC, ITV, and Channel 4, where she continues to break down mental health stigma and educate the public.

Lara is hired as a speaker because of her unique ability to connect with audiences on a deeply emotional level while offering actionable insights. Her experiences have not only shaped her into a powerful storyteller but also a practical guide to overcoming life’s toughest challenges. Organisations and educational institutions turn to Lara for her inspiring approach to mental health advocacy, making her an invaluable resource for anyone looking to foster a culture of openness and well-being.

Official Testimonials

Lara Rebecca is regularly booked to engage audiences at events, read their latest feedback below:

“I was lucky to hear Lara’s speak at a recent Welsh Water event where she was speaking at a mental health session. Lara spoke openly and honestly about her lived experience of ill mental health and eating disorders. I learned so much from Lara’s story and I know that her story impacted on others. I have absolutely no doubt that Lara’s openness and honesty has and will save lives. Lara is such an engaging speaker and has a wonderful, positive outlook which is certainly catching! If you are looking for mental health speakers then consider Lara. You won’t be disappointed. Thank you so much Lara. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

Kathryn, Talent Development Advisor, Welsh Water

“Having Lara work with us was a great first for Principality! Disordered Eating was not a topic we had ever previously approached as a company however, one our Wellbeing Matters Network felt was important that we face into. Lara was authentic, raw and brought a real insight into her lived experience. Her honesty was refreshing and courageous and brought to life the challenges individuals who experience disordered eating face. Lara signposted areas for support including herself. I would recommend working with Lara as she represents so many people and her story is truly inspiring.”

Amy, Principality Building Society

“We asked Lara to help us out with some webinars for our Mental Health Month back in May and she couldn’t have been more accommodating. We work with over 16,000 schools all over the UK, so she even did some of the webinars in Welsh. The webinars were so insightful and informative they provided a real and honest view of anxiety and depression. Lara is confident when speaking which really helps when delivering such a powerful message. All our customers loved the webinars, we got some overwhelming feedback and hope to work with her again in the near future!”

Amy, Marketing Coordinator, CPOMS Systems Limited

“Lara Rebecca shared her personal journey of recovering from an eating disorder with our learners. Her story is both terrifying and inspirational, as she speaks with openness, knowledge, and passion. Lara’s journey provokes thought about the impact of throwaway comments on family and friends while providing tools and understanding for approaching similar situations. Although eating disorders are treated as almost a taboo conversation, Lara simplifies this whole conversation and starting with wellness and happiness.”

James, HRC Online

“We had the chance to have Lara with us in our Wagamama branch, here in Cardiff, during the mental health awareness week in 2022. I’ve been following Lara journey and I’ve always thought she is able to inspire people. For this reason I asked her to run a conversation event here in our restaurant with some different guests, who’d never met each other, talking about mental health. I was a bit nervous about it at first, because I didn’t know if any of the guests would have felt comfortable talking about it with strangers, but Lara, starting talking about her experience, made them feel comfortable and showed how important is to talk about mental health and that there is nothing wrong about struggling with that and asking for help. The outcome from the guests was amazing. They all loved her and told me they found talking with Lara really helpful. That event proved me what I’ve always thought about Lara, she is great, strong and inspires people.”

Alice, Manager, Wagamama

Lara is an exceptional and truly inspirational individual, fuelled by a strong sense of purpose. Watching her grow over the recent years, and having the privilege of collaborating closely with her, has been an incredibly rewarding experience.”

Oly, Run4YourMindFoundation

“Lara expertly delivered some very personal and insightful content for the Champion Health employee health and wellbeing platform, adding great value that is sure to have an impact on people. Lara was such a pleasure to work with, extremely competent and knowledgeable, we couldn’t have asked for more.”

Myles, Champion Health

To enquire about Lara Rebecca for your event or corporate function, simply contact us via agent@mentalhealthspeakers.co.uk or call a booking agent on 0203 9816 296.