Kathleen O'Connor

We live in a fast-paced, complex world where slowing down, organizing our thoughts, acknowledging our feelings, and managing our own wellness can feel impractical, even indulgent. My goal is to offer you a safe, welcoming environment; a dedicated space to pause, reflect, heal, and grow. It is a place you can bring your most persistent thoughts, and your heaviest feelings, and you will be met with acceptance, compassion, curiosity and hopefully, a bit of humour.

I believe that our formative experiences of love, safety and attachment are critical in formulating how we view the world, and how we interact with others, but they are not deterministic. I have had the honour of working with individuals and families at the most dire, vulnerable points of their lives, and I am frequently in awe of our capacity for resilience and change.

My approach is strengths-based, trauma-informed and holistic. I embrace the principles of Emotional Focused Therapy (EFIT), and other trauma-informed and cognitive-based modalities to tailor support to your individual preferences, tolerances and needs. I believe strongly in the mind body connection and appreciate that true and sustainable healing requires integration at the mental, emotional and physiological levels. Growth sometimes requires a brief trip outside your comfort zone, but only with your consent. I welcome you to set the pace and keep me informed about your experience. Ideally, we will sit together through the toughest moments and share a laugh in the lightest. You should leave therapy feeling grounded, and hopeful about the process you are committing to. Therapy is not always easy, but by reaching out, you’ve already taken one of the most difficult steps!

My professional background includes over 25 years of working with diverse individuals, from all ages and life stages, navigating the health, mental health, developmental and child welfare systems. I’ve had the honour of supporting individuals through a variety of life’s challenges including abuse, trauma and violence (physical, sexual, psychological); grief and loss; managing health crisis, palliative and end-of-life care; caregiver and parenting stress; navigating life’s major transitions; adapting to disability; perinatal loss, postpartum support, surrogacy and adoption; surviving the child welfare system; and coping with various forms of neurodivergence. So, whether life has taken an unpredictable turn; you’re exhausted from living in survival mode; or your life’s trajectory has felt tumultuous from the start, we can work together to mobilize your strengths, build upon your resources and find a new path forward.

Personally, I am passionate about animal welfare, and like to relax with good music, funny friends, road trips, and great Italian food (with the occasional glass of wine!). If you are ready to begin, it would be my honour to meet with you and join you on this journey!