Meet Lorran Garrison | School Psychologist, Co-Owner of Little Brainstorm, Author, & Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lorran Garrison and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lorran, what’s the most important thing you’ve done for your children?
I think the most important thing I’ve done as a parent is help my son understand who he is and where he comes from while giving him the confidence to become his own person.

As the parent of an Asian American teenager, that has felt especially important in recent years. At a time when racism and discrimination continue to impact many communities, I’ve tried to make sure he understands both the challenges and the strengths that come with his heritage. I want him to know the history of Asian Americans in the United States, appreciate the sacrifices and resilience of previous generations, and take pride in the many cultures and experiences that shape our family.

At the same time, I’ve worked to teach him that mental health matters. As a school psychologist, I know that wellness involves understanding yourself, communicating your needs, and creating healthy boundaries. Many cultures emphasize sacrifice and putting others first, which can foster strong family and community connections. Equally important is recognizing your own needs, protecting your well-being, and developing the confidence to advocate for yourself.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve tried to teach is balance. I want him to value family, community, and collective responsibility while also honoring his individuality. There is wisdom in collectivism, and there is wisdom in recognizing that each person has unique talents, perspectives, and dreams.

Recently, he led a class debate about individuality and argued that individualism is important because every person is unique, capable of self-sufficiency, and deserving of the freedom to pursue their own goals and happiness. He spoke about the importance of free will and the idea that people should remain true to themselves rather than living according to someone else’s expectations. Listening to him, I realized he had taken those lessons and made them his own.

As a parent, that is what I hope for. I want him to appreciate his roots while having the courage to chart his own path. I want him to care deeply about others while also valuing his own voice. If I’ve done anything right, I hope it’s helping him develop a strong sense of identity, empathy for others, and the confidence to contribute something meaningful to the world.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Professionally, I wear a lot of hats. I’m a school psychologist, author, speaker, advocate, nonprofit board member, and co-founder of Little Brainstorm. At first glance, those roles may seem unrelated, but they are all connected by the same goal: helping people understand themselves and one another through stories, relationships, and community.

What sets me apart is that I don’t see mental health, education, creativity, and pop culture as separate worlds. Some of the most meaningful conversations I’ve had with students, families, educators, and convention attendees have started with a comic book, a television show, a favorite character, or a shared story. Stories give us a language for discussing identity, resilience, belonging, grief, hope, and personal growth.

My professional path has been anything but linear. I didn’t begin my career thinking I would be speaking at comic conventions, serving on the Board of Directors for the Pop Culture Hero Coalition, publishing children’s books, presenting at professional conferences, and working in special education. Many of those opportunities grew from saying “yes” to experiences that aligned with my values, even when I wasn’t entirely sure where they would lead.

Like many people, I’ve faced setbacks, self-doubt, and moments when I questioned whether I belonged in certain spaces. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that growth often happens outside of your comfort zone. Another is that expertise is important, but relationships are what create lasting impact. The reports I write and the presentations I give matter, but what people tend to remember is whether they felt heard, respected, and understood.

What I’m most proud of is building a career that reflects all of my interests instead of choosing just one. I love psychology, education, storytelling, advocacy, and community-building. For a long time, I thought I had to fit into a single professional box. Over time, I realized that the intersections between those interests are where I do my best work.

If there’s one thing I want people to know about my story and my brand, it’s that creativity and mental health belong together. Whether I’m supporting a student through a difficult challenge, writing a children’s book, speaking on a panel, or collaborating with advocates and creators, my goal is the same: to help people feel seen, understood, and empowered to tell their own stories.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend were visiting California for a week, I’d want them to experience the California I love—one built around culture, creativity, history, and community.

We’d start in Northern California with the Golden Gate Bridge and, if the season was right, some fresh Dungeness crab on the waterfront. The next day we’d visit Cape and Cowl Comics and grab drinks at Faction Brewing while enjoying views of the San Francisco skyline. We’d also spend a day exploring Chinatown through a history and food tour.

From there, we’d drive down the coast, stopping among the redwoods before heading to Santa Barbara for its beaches, art, and laid-back charm.

We’d finish in Los Angeles with Pink’s Hot Dogs, Hollywood Boulevard, and a visit to La Luz de Jesus Gallery, one of my favorite spots for discovering imaginative and unconventional artists.

The trip would be a mix of comics, food, history, and art. We’d learn about Asian American history in Chinatown, support independent businesses, stand beneath ancient redwoods, enjoy the California coast, and explore the creative energy that makes California such a unique place to live.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate this shoutout to the people and organizations working behind the scenes to make their communities a little better than they found them.

As a school psychologist, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside teachers, special education teams, counselors, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, paraeducators, administrators, and families who advocate for students every day. Much of their work goes unnoticed, yet they are often the people who change the trajectory of a child’s life. They have reminded me that meaningful change happens when people consistently show up for one another.

I would also like to recognize the artists, writers, librarians, educators, convention organizers, and independent creators who have welcomed Little Brainstorm into the comics and pop culture community. Storytelling has an incredible ability to build empathy, foster connection, and help people feel seen.

A special shoutout goes to the Pop Culture Hero Coalition, where I serve on the Board of Directors. The organization uses the power of pop culture, comics, film, television, gaming, and fandom to promote mental health, resilience, inclusion, and anti-bullying initiatives. Their work demonstrates that stories are more than entertainment, they can be powerful tools for education, healing, and social change.

I would also like to recognize the Hunter’s Heart Foundation and the many nonprofit organizations that support children and families facing extraordinary challenges. Watching families, volunteers, medical professionals, educators, and advocates come together around a shared mission is a powerful reminder of what community can accomplish.

The common thread connecting all of these groups is a belief that people matter. Whether it’s a teacher helping a struggling student, a creator sharing a story that makes someone feel understood, or an advocate supporting a family through a difficult journey, these acts of service create ripple effects that extend far beyond what we can see. I am grateful to be part of communities that value education, creativity, mental health, and compassion.

Website: https://www.littlebrainstorm.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/little.brainstorm/

Image Credits
Image credits by Lorran Garrison, Justin Tracy, and Little Brainstorm