Shannon Carroll didn’t set out to be both a psychiatric nurse practitioner and a standup comedian — but somewhere between diagnosing anxiety disorders and bombing (occasionally) at open mics, he realized the two aren’t as different as they sound. Both require reading a room, sitting with discomfort, and knowing exactly when to let a silence do the work.

As founder of MetroNP, a boutique psychiatric practice in Manhattan’s Gramercy/Flatiron neighborhood, Shannon built a space specifically for creative professionals — performers, writers, and artists who need a provider who understands that “irregular schedule” isn’t a euphemism and that creative identity is often tangled up with mental health in ways a 15-minute med check can’t unpack. He also teaches as adjunct faculty at NYU’s Rory Meyers College of Nursing, training the next generation of psychiatric providers to actually listen before they prescribe.

Off the clock, you’ll find him on stage at some comedy club, mining his own life — including his clinical one — for material. It’s not a party trick. It’s the same belief driving his practice: that humor and honesty aren’t opposites of good mental health care, they’re often the way in.