Joy O'Brien

(she/her)

PMHNP, 10 years of experience

Clients say this provider is

Warm
Solution oriented
Authentic

About me

I am a dually board certified nurse practitioner in family medicine and psychiatry. I have over a decade of experience working across the lifespan helping people find their way to the healthy life that they desire. I really enjoy getting to know my patients as individuals and celebrating the accomplishments each person makes in their path to a rewarding life. When I'm not working or learning more, you can find me hiking with my dogs, exploring New England, sailing, skiing, mountain biking, running, baking, and quilting.

Get to know me

In our first session together, here's what you can expect

From the outset, I want to get to know who I am working with, their goals, and the context that leads to them seeking help. I want to know what's worked, what hasn't worked, and their priorities and things to avoid in treatment. I am warm and friendly and bring a wry sense of humor and compassion to work every day.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

I am at my best when helping others, and find a lot of joy in the individual relationships that I build with my clients. I am always seeking to find the best way to support the person in front of me, whether that's listening and being present, or setting a boundary, making a suggestion, or asking clarifying questions. I have a lot of experience working in healthcare and can see the interplay and complexity of physical health and mental health. I'm familiar with the mind-body connection and the ways that treating one can affect the other. I bring that comprehensive experience and a commitment to working with each individual as an individual rather than following the same playbook for each person.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

I work with adolescents and adults in all walks of life, in different family and relationship constellations. I have experience working with different socioeconomic realities, LGBTQIA, and non-traditional relationship structures, from a variety of ethnic and spiritual backgrounds. I believe medication is only part of the picture in terms of a well balanced life, and will enthusiastically talk about integrative and non-traditional approaches to health.

Specialties

Top specialties

Other specialties

Identifies as

Serves ages

Teenagers (13 to 17)

Location

Virtual

My treatment methods

Motivational Interviewing

I know that connecting people to their own goals is far more effective than me telling someone what their goals should be, so I collaborate with clients to help them establish their priorities and then examine and address the barriers to them having the life and relationship experiences they want to have to thrive. I have a strong background in addiction medicine, as well, which relies heavily on motivational interviewing.

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

I use reframing to help people examine their feelings and separate their narrative from the facts of their experience to look for opportunities to implement positive change.

, 329 ratings

59 ratings with written reviews

August 25, 2026

Joy does a fantastic job at looking at the whole picture and making carefully thought out and collaborative plans when it comes to my treatment. I have not ever had a medication provider who has made me feel this safe and supported as she does. I have some complex medical circumstances and Joy never makes me feel like it's too much for her to deal with. She is very knowledgeable and passionate about what she does!

Verified client, age 25-34
Review shared after session 4 with Joy

August 11, 2026

Joy is incredibly easy to speak with. She puts me in the driver seat, offering solutions but not pushing anything. She understands and supports my curiosity about how my brain works and helps educate me so that I feel empowered to make the best decisions for my care.

Verified client, age 35-44
Review shared after session 3 with Joy

July 10, 2026

I am so lucky to have found a caring, compassionate provider who LISTENS to my concerns and works with me to create a treatment plan that is tailored to me as an individual, taking into consideration my concerns and past medical history to make sure that I am getting the best results possible from my medication-FOR ME as an individual. 10/10 would recommend this provider!💞

Verified client, age 25-34
Review shared after session 1 with Joy