Dr. Paige O'Connell, Psy.D.

Welcome!

If you have found your way here, you are probably thinking about how therapy might serve you, so let me tell you a bit about how I think about it. I approach therapy with a firm belief that you make sense. The reasons you have the beliefs and behaviors you do makes sense - and we need to understand the reasons. When we are frustrated by our behaviors that no longer serve us we often ask “why am I like this?”. I want to shift to ask the same question together with curiosity and compassion. You’re “like this” for a reason. It served you in some way. Maybe it still does, even as it also hurts you. Trying to remove it without understanding what it’s trying to do, and finding a better way to meet that need, is as difficult as removing a load bearing wall without putting anything in its place. 

When we are able to respect our survival strategies, and then work to change the ones that don't serve us, we can blossom. In working towards change, I stay rooted in the fact that we are all individuals with our own needs, cultures, beliefs, experiences, and dreams. We all face our challenges in unique ways. I strongly believe that effective therapy is both flexible and tailored to both client and therapist, and the cultural and social backgrounds that have shaped us, in order to build a strong working relationship. 

I approach therapy from a place of cultural humility, and practice with a strong belief in social justice. I believe that we must be aware of, and take pride in, the identities, privileges, and backgrounds of both the therapist and client. Only through awareness of these things can I truly be your ally and guide as you face life’s challenges.

In therapy, I mix conversation, to build an understanding of who you are and what drives you, with skill-building, to give you tools to face your challenges. I think of this as tending to a garden - the skills taking care of the parts of the plant that we see, weeding and pruning, and the increased insight and understanding tending to the soil made of the unique environment you navigated to get to this point. You need both to help you grow. In addressing both, I aim to empower you to appreciate your strengths, your resilience, and your true self.