Marian Miner Cook
Athenaeum

Drawing from his own mental health struggles during college, his journey toward recovery, and the loss of his father and grandfather to suicide, Rivedal uses humor and lived experience to open conversations that can be difficult to have. Students will learn practical strategies for managing stress and supporting mental health, recognizing signs of depression and suicide risk, helping a friend who may be struggling, and connecting with resources, including support for a diverse array of communities. Along the way, you’ll laugh, learn a few life-saving skills, and leave better equipped to help yourselves and the people you care about.

Joshua Rivedal is a speaker, author, mental health educator, and stand-up comedian who has presented on mental health and suicide prevention across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia. He is the founder of The i’Mpossible Project and Changing Minds, a mental health-based curriculum, and the author of six books. His suicide prevention coursework is taught to healthcare professionals in Washington State, and he has co-authored three peer-reviewed journal articles on suicide loss, chronic illness, and trauma.

Joshua also works as a professional actor and voiceover artist, appearing in national commercials for McDonald’s, Dunkin’, and Dell. He has trained in coaching at NYU and emotional intelligence at Yale’s Center for Emotional Intelligence. Joshua lives in Philadelphia, performs stand-up comedy, loves to cook, and holds a first-degree black belt in Taekwondo.