Tim Lafolette – TEDxYoungstown 2022
Tim Lafolette is a mental health professional, author, and singer/songwriter living in Portland, Oregon. Currently, he is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with the Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest (NARA). NARA provides education, mental and physical health services, and substance abuse treatment to Native Americans and Alaska Natives in a culturally and spiritually appropriate environment.
As a performer, Tim’s a member of the Portland Opera and has been seen on stage in musicals, concerts, and cabarets – including his 2021 solo cabaret, Live Your Life. He was a contributing author in the best-selling book, “Success From the Heart”.
A second-generation pastor’s son, Tim’s journey from conversion therapy and despair to self-acceptance as a gay man – combined with his religious, professional, and artistic experiences – have shaped his beliefs about the vital importance of community: “I want to share my story so that people who feel like they’re on the outside looking in the know that there is hope for a better future –a future where they can love who they are and accept love from the community they choose.”
