Eddie Acosta is a nationally recognized trauma-informed speaker and resilience coach who specializes in helping individuals and organizations understand the impact of childhood trauma—and how to rise beyond it.
Drawing from lived experience and formal study in psychology and behavioral health, Eddie equips audiences with practical tools for healing, mindset transformation, and leadership through adversity. With a unique ability to turn pain into purpose, Eddie is a trusted voice for youth programs, schools, foster care organizations, and leadership forums seeking authentic, evidence-informed insight on resilience, mental health, and post-traumatic growth.
Eddie Acosta is more than a motivational speaker—he’s a living testament to the power of resilience, transformation, and hope.
As a survivor of extreme childhood abuse and foster care instability, Eddie uses his powerful personal story to inspire change, challenge limiting beliefs, and ignite healing in others. His message is clear: your past does not define your future. Blending raw honesty with practical insight, Eddie speaks to students, professionals, and communities with one goal in mind—to show that no matter how dark your beginnings, growth and healing are always possible.
With every word, he reminds audiences that survival is just the beginning, and that with the right mindset, it can be done.
About Eddie
Hery (Eddie) Acosta – Youth Advocate, Program Leader, Author.
Hery “Eddie” Acosta is a dedicated youth advocate, author, and survivor of child abuse and neglect who has turned his life story into a mission to uplift and empower young people. With over 13 years of experience working in the Hillsboro and St. Helens School Districts, Eddie has supported children with special needs in both behavioral and medically fragile programs, always bringing compassion, resilience, and understanding to the work.
Eddie currently serves as the Youth Program Coordinator for the City of Hillsboro, where he develops and leads programs designed to support and inspire local youth. His flagship program, Ohana Teen Night, is held every Friday from 6–9 PM at the Hidden Creek Community Center and currently serves over 300 registered participants. Ohana Teen Night provides teens with a safe, welcoming environment where they can build community, find support, and simply be themselves.
In addition to his hands-on work with youth, Eddie is the author of Eddie in the Rough – Becoming a Diamond, an autobiography that shares his journey from hardship to healing. His story is a testament to resilience and the power of mentorship and community in overcoming trauma.
Eddie’s passion for service and unwavering belief in the potential of every young person continue to shape the programs he leads and the lives he touches.
Eddie's Signature Talks
Eddie Acosta is a nationally recognized trauma-informed speaker and resilience coach who specializes in helping individuals and organizations understand the impact of childhood trauma—and how to rise beyond it.
"More Than What Happened: The Journey of Healing After Trauma"
In this heartfelt and empowering speech, the speaker shares personal experiences with trauma to remind others that healing is possible — even when the road is long and uncertain. With compassion and honesty, this message explores what trauma does to the human spirit, how recovery begins, and why each survivor is more powerful than they often believe. It's a call to courage, connection, and hope for anyone seeking light after darkness.
“Rising Strong: Finding Hope and Healing After Trauma”
In this powerful and heartfelt speech, [Your Name] shares a personal journey through trauma, abuse, and neglect — and reveals how healing is possible even in the darkest of times. Drawing from real-life experience and practical strategies, this talk inspires hope, resilience, and self-compassion. Whether you’ve faced trauma yourself or want to better understand and support others, discover how to reclaim your strength, embrace your story, and rise like a diamond forged under pressure.
"It Can Be Done: A Journey from Trauma to Triumph"
In this powerful and deeply personal keynote, Eddie Acosta shares his story of surviving childhood abuse, navigating the foster care system, and reclaiming his life after trauma. Through vivid storytelling, emotional insight, and hard-earned wisdom, Eddie takes audiences on a journey from fear and survival to healing and purpose. Drawing from lived experience and years of self-discovery, he identifies the mindsets that often hold survivors back—and the turning point that helped him break the cycle.
This talk is more than a testimony—it's a message of hope. With raw honesty and resilience, Eddie reminds us that we are not what happened to us—and that no matter how dark the beginning, a powerful future is possible.
Ideal for: Youth advocates, educators, mental health professionals, foster care programs, trauma survivors, and anyone seeking inspiration and understanding around the impacts of childhood adversity.
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Eddie Acosta is a nationally recognized trauma-informed speaker and resilience coach who specializes in helping individuals and organizations understand the impact of childhood trauma—and how to rise beyond it.
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