Dr. Shairi Turner
Dr. Shairi Turner speaking at a roundtable discussion with fellow panelists

Speaking

She brings a room to silence,
then gets them to act.

In the Room

The Zac Clark Show

The Youth of America in Crisis: Solutions and Hope

“Depression is actually a normal response to a traumatized childhood. It's the mind saying, I can't, I just can't.”

Dr. Shairi Turner

Signature Topics

Youth Mental Health: What the Data Cannot Capture

Dr. Turner has sat with the numbers longer than almost anyone in this field. 70 percent of Crisis Text Line texters are under 24. But no data point explains the seventh-grader who texts at 2 A.M. because she has nowhere else to go. This keynote holds both: the scope of the crisis and the singular human moment inside it.

Audiences

  • Healthcare Systems
  • Educational Institutions
  • Parent & Family Organizations
  • Policy Forums

As Seen On

NBC Meet the PressWatch →

The Crisis You Cannot See Coming

What does crisis intervention actually look like when a phone call feels impossible? What does it look like to build a system that reaches the kid who will not call 988 but will text a stranger? Dr. Turner draws on Crisis Text Line's real-time trend data and her own clinical experience to show what works and what we keep getting wrong.

Audiences

  • Mental Health Organizations
  • Corporate Wellness Teams
  • Hospital & Health Systems
  • Government & Policy Audiences

As Seen In

USA TodayRead →

Health Equity Is Not a Tagline

She built a healthcare system for incarcerated youth in Florida from scratch. She watched Black and brown kids receive a different standard of care, not because anyone decided that was acceptable, but because no one decided otherwise. This talk names the specific design failures in systems that claim to serve everyone equally and proposes the structural corrections that actually move the needle.

Audiences

  • Foundations & Nonprofits
  • Academic Medical Centers
  • State & Federal Government
  • Health Equity Leadership

As Seen In

Stanford MagazineRead →

Parenting in the Age of the Mental Health Crisis

One in five children in America has a diagnosable mental health condition. Most parents know something is wrong before the diagnosis arrives. Dr. Turner speaks to parents and educators with the directness of a physician and the perspective of a mother. No wellness clichés. No generic advice. Practical, evidence-informed tools grounded in what actually helps.

Audiences

  • Schools & Universities
  • Parent Associations
  • Employee Resource Groups (Parents)
  • Community Organizations

As Seen In

Los Angeles TimesRead →

The Physician Who Chose the Hard Room

A career retrospective for medical and public health audiences. What happens when you have every credential the field offers and choose to use them in the least comfortable places? Dr. Turner traces her arc from Mass General Hospital to Juvenile Justice & Public Health in the State of Florida to Crisis Text Line and makes the case that excellence belongs in the hardest rooms, not just the most prestigious ones.

Audiences

  • Medical Schools & Residency Programs
  • Public Health Graduate Programs
  • Physician & Clinician Audiences
  • HBCU Leadership Conferences

As Seen In

Harvard Medical School / CFFRead →

Formats

Keynote

45 to 60 minutes. Opening or closing. Full arc, story-led, actionable close.

Fireside Chat

30 to 45 minutes. Moderated conversation. Dr. Turner does not need a script.

Panel

Expert panelist. She will be the most prepared person on stage.

Media / Press

Broadcast, print, podcast, radio. 221 engagements and counting.

Workshop

Half-day or full-day. Interactive. Evidence-based takeaways for clinical, policy, or leadership teams.

Past Stages and Outlets

NBC Meet the Press

CBS News

MLB Network

Scripps News

TIME Magazine

USA Today

New York Times

Los Angeles Times

CNN

Forbes

EBONY

Essence

Axios Live

WNYC / Brian Lehrer Show

SiriusXM / Mornings with Zerlina

iHeart Radio / Black Effect Network

Nike No Off Season Podcast

Harvard Center for Suicide Research

HLTH Conference

CBCF Annual Legislative Conference

MLB Six Innings Conversation

Children's Miracle Network

Florida State University

Florida A&M University

Adelphi University / Nike / Movember

U.S. Congress (Crisis Text Line Briefing)

TFAH Pain in the Nation Briefing

Honoraria note: For engagements where Dr. Turner represents Crisis Text Line, honoraria are paid to Crisis Text Line per organizational policy. For engagements in her capacity as a physician, author, or independent mental health expert, personal speaking fees apply. Please specify context in your inquiry.

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