Laurel writes and teaches about healing, grief, and emotional wellbeing for all of us—humans and other animals. Her first book Animal Madness was a NYT bestseller and her 2023 memoir What Looks Like Bravery explores the particular form of resilience born from loss.

In her position as the Director of Writing and Storytelling at the Stanford School of Medicine’s Medical Humanities and the Arts Program, and the founder of Writing Medicine, Laurel has helped thousands of medical professionals around the world become better communicators, find renewed purpose and meaning in their work, and combat burnout and overwhelm.

Recognized as a trailblazer in mental health, Laurel has encouraged millions via her storytelling workshops, keynotes, books, and courses to write their paths toward healing.

Whether she is coaching a burnt out surgeon writing their first memoir, an aspiring nurse working on an op-ed, or a cancer survivor telling their story live on-stage, Laurel inspires her colleagues, students and readers to communicate bravely and vulnerably in service of their emotional health and general wellbeing.

Learn more about Laurel