Yvonne O'Brien
My name is Yvonne O’Brien, and I am a force to be reckoned with. I am currently at Eric Erickson stage of development where I want to make a valuable contribution to society. In addition, with my demonstrated ability to engage with clients from a culturally informed point of view, along with my enthusiasm and dedication to achieving success. The problem that can arise from any discussion is that most hear, but few listen. Listening is a vanishing skill, a victim of high-tech world we live in. Listening is an art that when done well delivers tremendous benefits. I have come to the conclusion that listening not only fosters understanding, but it also creates an atmosphere of trust, honor, and respect. Even though my friends believed that I was a great listener, it was evident that during my time as an intern, that I recognized listening involves much more than listen. In fact, it does not only involve using your ears, but it requires using other senses such as your eyes. I think the most widespread problem in communication is the failure to attend fully to what is being said. Every communication needs some degree of clarification because it is so difficult. So, I have to say that it all came together for me during my time as an intern. Certainly, through supervision (modeling), the clients who related their stories and then having to do process recording (something I hated at the time but have come to appreciate) really taught me how to listen. I was also fortunate to be supervised as an intern by Sherman Malone, LCSW and working as an in-home clinician at the Yale Child Study Center. Being supervised by one of the best New Haven Social Workers and my experience at the Child Study Center provided me most of the skills that I have developed, such as using humor as an icebreaker.
Certainly, through supervision (modeling), the clients who related their stories and then having to do process recording (something I hated at the time but have come to appreciate) really taught me how to listen.
First session
Your first session is all about getting to know you, understanding what brought you in, and helping you feel comfortable. There is no pressure to share everything at once. I will start by explaining how therapy works, what my role is, and what you can expect from our time together. We will go over things like confidentiality and the structure of future sessions, which is a standard part of first session. We will explore your current concerns, your history, and what you are hoping to change or understand. We talk about what you want out of therapy . In addition, you are encouraged to ask anything about the process, my approach, or what therapy will look like moving forward.
Strengths
I bring a blend of deep clinical experience, ongoing education, and real-world understanding that shapes the way I support the people I work with. With more than 10 years in the field, I have worked with individuals and families through some of their most challenging and transformative moments. My years doing in-home work through the Yale Child Study gave me a rare perspective that many therapist never get. I have sat with families in their living rooms, supported adolescents in their every day environments, and learned how to understand people within their context of their real lives, not just in an office. This experience taught me how to build trust quickly, understand behavior in its natural setting, support families through complex emotional and relational dynamics and adapt my approach to each person's unique needs. I am committed to ongoing education, always expanding my skills and staying current with the most effective evidence-based approaches. This means that your are not just getting my experience-you are getting the most up-to-date tools, strategies, and insights that modern therapy can offer. All this comes together in the way I show up as a therapist: Grounded, but flexible. Highly trained, but deeply human. Skilled in evidence-based approaches, but always attuned to your lived experiences. My background allows me to create a space where you feel understood, supported, and empowered to grow-no matter what stage of life you are in.
Ideal clients
Adolescents and seniors may be in quite different chapters of life, but they are often navigating surprisingly similar emotional terrain. “To the people standing at the edge of a new chapter…” Whether you are just beginning to understand who you are, or you are redefining yourself after decades of experience, you share something powerful: you are in a season of transition, and you want to feel grounded, understood and supported. Even though your life stories are different, you both know what it is like to feel, uncertain about the future, ready for change, curious about who you are becoming, and hopeful that things can feel better. That is where the work begins. I collaborate with people who are navigating big emotional shifts-whether you are stepping into adulthood, or stepping into a new phase of life. You want tools, clarity, and a space where your feelings are taken seriously. You want to feel more in control of your thoughts, more confident in your choices, and more connected to yourself and others. My role is to help you build those skills and feel supported every step of the way.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT is a collaborative, structured goal oriented approach that helps you understand how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors influence one another. In our work together, we can use CBT to build practical skills that support, lasting change. CBT is evidence based therapy and is shown to be effective for concerns like anxiety, depression, stress trauma and more. We will start by identifying patterns in your thoughts, emotions and behaviors, challenging unhelpful thoughts, building new skills, taking action between sessions (brief exercises), and measuring progress together.
Location
Virtual sessions