Nic Newling is an outspoken advocate for mental health, suicide prevention, and sharing personal stories. Having lived through the experience of suffering with a mood disorder throughout high school and losing his brother to suicide, he has since dedicated himself to changing the way mental illness is addressed in schools, workplaces, and communities.
Nic has reached millions of people through television, live talks, radio, print, online, documentaries, and eHealth programs. He strives to make a continuing positive impact utilizing sharing and listening to encourage helpful, unscripted conversations around mental health, suicide prevention, and getting the most out of life.
Nic has been featured on The TODAY Show, Australian Story, Huffington Post, and has shared his message through major radio stations and newspapers. He features in the men’s mental health documentary series Man Up and the upcoming documentary Suicide: The Ripple Effect, and was one of the subjects of his mother’s Human Rights Award winning memoir Missing Christopher.
He also regularly features in awareness campaigns, most recently for an international suicide prevention campaign with Movember, and has contributed to news articles and research journals. He strongly believes in the power of research, leading the development of an online positive psychology intervention at the Black Dog Institute and collaborating on its effectiveness evaluation study through the University of New South Wales.
Nic counts himself fortunate, lucky, and grateful to have received familial, peer, and professional support allowing him to recover and heal through his turbulent teen years. It has since enabled him to focus his attention on sharing directly to young people, families, workplaces, and professionals, and the broader public.
He has spoken at industry events such as the International Association of Suicide Prevention conference, the Mental Health in Schools conferences, the School Counselors and Psychologists conferences, at university lectures for Medical and Nursing students, and for corporations across Australia and America.
Nic has spoken at Google, Coca-Cola, cultural events such as Vivid Ideas, Ignite Sydney, and TEDxSYDNEY. He has toured twice with The Sunday Telegraph for the Can We Talk forums designed to connect communities with experts and encourage mental health conversations.
Growing up in Australia he is now based in Sydney and New York, and founded The Champions to help further the mission of empowering people through sharing.
Nic is proud to be involved in suicide prevention initiatives as an ambassador for R U OK?, Australia Day, Movember, and the Australian Mental Health Prize.
Nic cites his most memorable presenting moment as when he walked back down memory lane into the adolescent psychiatric ward where he was treated for almost a year as a teenager and, along with other fellow former patients, spoke to the audience there to provide hope that dark times don’t last forever.