Hello!

My name is Megan O’Laughlin. I am a writer, an artist, and a social worker. For my “day job,” I work as a therapist, clinical supervisor, and program manager for a non-profit organization that serves youth and families in Seattle, Washington.

I was raised in academia and grew up in different parts of the country including Minnesota, Texas, and Idaho. A creative, dreamy kid, I doodled on any scrap piece of paper I could find, scribbled stories about cats in outer space, played the piano for hours. In college I studied visual art and earned a BFA in painting and sculpture. Unsure of a career path, I then served for two years with The Peace Corps in The Gambia, followed by more years of travel and exploration. Driven by my interests in mental health and social justice, I eventually settled in Seattle and studied social work at The University of Washington, earning my MSW in 2007. I then earned clinical hours towards my licensure by working in residential facilities, community mental health, and more. I’ve been an outpatient therapist since 2011 and a clinical supervisor since 2015. I have taught courses in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and provided consultation and supervision services for many organizations in the greater Seattle area including Thira Health, Tukwila School District, Swedish Hospital, Acorn Therapy, and more.

I went back to school several years ago to earn my MFA in Creative Writing when I realized I needed a creative outlet to address my professional burn out. I was very interested in understanding secondary trauma and exhaustion and how it affects people working in the healthcare realm. My essays blend personal narrative with archetypal and pop culture explorations and research. I am currently working on a book-length essay collection about nihilism, obsession, and the Alien franchise.

When I’m not working on one of my many projects, I’m often in the gym lifting weights like Method Man, trying to play the drums, working throught my ever-growing stack of books, or exploring the city with my dog and kiddo.

Author Bio:

Megan E. O’Laughlin (she/they) is a Seattle-based psychotherapist and artist whose writing can be found in The Rumpus,Watershed Review, Anti-Heroin Chic, Defunkt Magazine, Cleaver Magazine, and others. She cohosts the I’M TRIGGERED! Podcast which discusses depictions of mental health in movies and television. She is currently writing an essay collection about mental health, obsessions, and the Alien franchise.

More information:

• BFA in Studio Art from University of Idaho, 2000

• MSW from University of Washington, 2007

• MFA in Creative Writing from Ashland University, 2023

• Co-host of the I’M TRIGGERED podcast

• Author interviewer for The Rumpus.

• Former Managing Editor and Nonfiction editor for the Black Fork Review

• Former CNF Reader for Reckon Review

• Behavioral Health Writer for TCI, including articles, newsletters, and website copy