About Sean Lawlor
Sean Lawlor is a writer, therapist, and endlessly curious explorer of the human experience. With a background spanning literature, psychology, fitness, and travel, his work is driven by a deep fascination with consciousness, transformation, and the narratives that shape our lives.
As a writer, Lawlor’s journey began in earnest in 2017 when he left his job as a high school writing and literature teacher to pursue a career in professional writing. Since then, he has published a diverse array of work, including film and music criticism, travel essays, business profiles, health and wellness articles, psychology deep dives, and immersive Gonzo-inspired pieces. His writing has appeared in numerous print and online publications as well as several anthologies and collections, showcasing his ability to blend incisive analysis with vivid storytelling.
Lawlor’s book Psychedelic Revival: Toward a New Paradigm of Healing (Sounds True, 2024), for which he interviewed over fifty leaders in the field, is a strong contribution to the ongoing discourse on psychedelic therapy and mental health. Since its release, he has been interviewed on numerous podcasts and has spoken at bookstores, libraries, community events, and conferences across the United States. Lawlor is also an avid fiction writer, currently at work on a novel best described as a literary psychological thriller infused with gothic horror and urban fantasy, weaving together elements of dark academia, supernatural mystery, and philosophical suspense.
As a therapist, Lawlor has been working in the psychedelic therapy field since 2020, with a focus on ketamine-assisted therapy for anxiety. He has facilitated hundreds of individual and group ketamine therapy sessions, in addition to traditional psychotherapy, and holds extensive training in Internal Family Systems (Level 2), ketamine-assisted therapy, MDMA-assisted therapy, and trauma-informed weightlifting. After working at leading clinics and group practices in Colorado, he founded Branching Pathways Counseling, a private practice where he offers ketamine-assisted therapy and individual therapy. His vision is to develop a unique strength-based, body-focused treatment modality that incorporates strength training—drawing from his experience as a NASM-certified personal trainer—alongside creative writing as a tool for deep self-exploration. His approach is informed not only by his clinical training but also by his own mental health journey, in which weight training, creative expression, and a commitment to curiosity and growth have played transformative roles.
Lawlor holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of San Diego, a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Chatham University, and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Naropa University. His interdisciplinary background informs his holistic approach to both writing and therapy, blending analytical depth with intuitive exploration.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Lawlor is an avid traveler, having explored over a dozen countries—often without an itinerary, including a two-month hitchhiking journey across the United States in his early twenties. He is an enthusiastic record collector and concert-goer, a lifelong film and pop culture devotee (especially drawn to the music and media of the ‘60s and ‘90s), and a guitarist and songwriter when inspiration strikes. Above all, he is captivated by the complexity of human consciousness and the ever-perplexing question of life’s ultimate meaning. He believes deeply in the power of story—whether in fiction, therapy, or lived experience—to shape and transform our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
Through his writing, his therapeutic work, and his ongoing creative pursuits, Lawlor is committed to fostering meaningful dialogue, exploring the depths of human potential, and embracing life as a grand, ever-unfolding journey.