I'm Sean Ferrell MD, a board-certified psychiatrist licensed in California, Colorado, Utah, and Washington State.
In a way, I came to practice medicine through climbing.
As I entered adulthood, I was a climber, writer, and artist. I thought that’s what I would be.
But then in 2003, I had a pretty serious climbing accident. It looked for a moment like I might not make it. I did, at least partly thanks to some great medical people. In recovery, I realized that I wanted to spend my working life in service of others. After a lot of exploring in health, I decided to become a doctor.
In medical school, I found that psychiatry is the best specialty to ally with patients, help them with their most cherished goals, and meet them with empathy.
I also found that psychiatry is at the forefront of innovation and growth - the science behind it is the most interesting, complex, and unpredictable.
I am a humanist atheist, a writer and teacher, and a dedicated father and husband. For 25 years, and through countless ups and downs, I have been a passionate climber in pursuit of mastery, performance, fun, and a sense of awe. In the context of my sport, I have experienced great personal triumph and great personal loss, which helps me to have context for my patients.
I love learning about my patients, approach their concerns with curiosity, humility, and deep respect. I am passionate about helping my patients to achieve their goals, in partnership and with professionalism.
I studied medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School (grad. 2015) and completed Psychiatry residency at the University of Utah (grad. 2019). I've been in independent psychiatric practice since 2019. I started Athlete Psychiatry PLLC in 2026.
