Herschel O'Brien
I’m Herschel O’Brien, a clinical counselor with extensive experience in trauma-informed, client-centered care. I specialize in helping individuals navigate emotional challenges, build resilience, and reconnect with their strengths.
My lived experience and professional training allow me to connect deeply with clients, offering insight, empathy, and strategies that foster real change.
My approach is grounded, compassionate, and collaborative, drawing from modalities like mindfulness, narrative therapy, and systems thinking. Whether you're facing trauma, mood instability, or life transitions, I offer a safe space where healing is possible and meaningful growth can take root. I believe in empowering clients to become the authors of their own lives, with clarity, confidence, and emotional insight.
First session
In our first session, I’ll take time to understand what brings you to therapy and what you hope to gain. We’ll explore your history, current challenges, and strengths in a way that feels safe and collaborative. You’ll have space to share at your own pace, and I’ll offer reflections and questions to help us begin building a therapeutic plan that fits your needs. My goal is to help you feel seen, supported, and grounded from the very start.
Strengths
My greatest strengths lie in my ability to integrate trauma-informed care with mindfulness, narrative therapy, and systems thinking. I bring a calm, grounded presence to sessions, helping clients feel safe enough to explore even the most difficult emotions. With advanced skills in clinical documentation and case conceptualization, I ensure that treatment is both compassionate and effective. My lived experience and professional training allow me to connect deeply with clients, offering insight, empathy, and strategies that foster real change.
Ideal clients
I work best with individuals who are navigating anxiety, stress, and the emotional weight of work, family, or relational conflict. My ideal clients are thoughtful, self‑aware, and open to exploring their internal world—even if they’re unsure where to begin. They may feel overwhelmed, stuck in old patterns, or disconnected from their needs, yet they’re motivated to understand themselves more deeply and create meaningful change. I’m especially well‑suited for clients who value a warm, grounded therapeutic space where curiosity, compassion, and cultural humility guide the work. Whether someone is processing life transitions, healing from relational wounds, or striving to strengthen emotional regulation, I support them in building clarity, resilience, and a more empowered relationship with themselves.
Treatment methods
Narrative
In our work together, I’ll help you explore the stories you tell about yourself and your life. Through narrative therapy, we’ll identify patterns that may be holding you back and create new, empowering ways of understanding your experiences. This approach is collaborative, strengths-based, and designed to help you feel more in control of your journey.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
In my practice, I’ll provide a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can explore your thoughts and feelings freely. Person-centered therapy means I’ll listen with empathy and respect, helping you feel supported and understood as you work toward healing and self-discovery.
Trauma Informed Care
Trauma-informed care is central to my practice. I approach every client with an understanding of how trauma can shape emotional, behavioral, and relational patterns. My work integrates safety, choice, collaboration, and empowerment—ensuring that clients feel respected and supported throughout the therapeutic process. I draw from modalities like CRM, mindfulness, and narrative therapy to help clients regulate, reframe, and reclaim their stories.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
I use IFS-informed approaches to help clients explore the different “parts” of themselves—each with its own voice, emotion, and role. This method allows for deep self-understanding and healing by fostering compassion toward internal conflicts. I integrate IFS with trauma-informed care and mindfulness to support clients in building a trusting relationship with their core Self and navigating emotional complexity with clarity and grace
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
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Licensed in
- CaliforniaLicense 14503