Roy Petitfils has traveled internationally to speak to adults to better connect with teens. Using his professional counseling background, life experience, humor and passion Roy helps bridge the connection between adults and today’s teenagers to help them get through the difficulties that exist growing up in the world today. Roy’s ability to provide solutions for parents, educators and ministers concerning teen issues like life changes, depression, suicide, anxiety, eating disorders, self harm, LGBTQ issues and more has made him an internationally sought after presenter. Below is Roy’s TEDx talk “What Teens Want You to Know, But Won’t Tell You.”

With every speaking engagement, Roy brings several aspects to ensure attendees leave confident to take on any situation when parenting teens.

Professional Counseling Background

Roy earned his Masters Degree in Community and School Counseling from the University of Louisiana Lafayette. He received his BA in Liberal Arts from St. Joseph Seminary College and studied spirituality, theology and ministry at the graduate level at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, Italy.

Roy has twenty years of experience working with young people and young adults for twenty years as a youth minister, a professional educator and administrator, school counselor and now as a counselor in private practice. He specializes in counseling teens, young adults and couples. He currently serves as the president of the Louisiana Association for Spiritual and Ethical Values in Counseling (LASERVIC).

Award-Winning Books

Roy has written four books, including his award winning book What I Wish Someone Had Told Me About the First Five Years of Marriage and most recently What Teens Want You to Know (But Don’t Tell You). His column for adults about youth and young adults, is read across the English speaking world. Roy’s blog BigBaldSpeaker.com has been ranked as one of the top ten Catholic blogs for catechists and youth ministers.

Humor and Enthusiasm

Roy’s blue collar roots, natural humor, contagious enthusiasm and diverse personal and professional background have made him a nationally sought after presenter and consultant. Roy lives with his wife Mindi of 10 years and their two sons Max and Benjamin in Youngsville, Louisiana.