Kathleen O'Connor

Kathleen O'Connor, LICSW, is a master’s-prepared clinical social worker with a broad background in mental health and a strong commitment to helping people move toward meaningful, achievable goals. As part of her MSW training, she participated in a multidisciplinary consortium and earned a Specialized Mental Health Provider certificate focused on supporting individuals with severe mental illness and dual diagnoses. She is licensed in Massachusetts as an LICSW, which is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker.

With more than 25 years of direct service experience, Kathleen has supported clients across the lifespan, from early childhood through later adulthood. Her career began in 1995 as a Social Services Director in a 114-bed nursing home, and her work has since spanned many settings, including substance use treatment programs, criminal justice environments, dialysis clinics, psychiatric emergency rooms, and community-based services. She has worked in both rural communities and inner-city settings, provided in-home therapy, offered community-based crisis support, and most recently delivered telehealth services by phone and video during the pandemic.

Kathleen’s style is collaborative and interactive, with regular check-ins to ensure she is understanding what matters most to the client and to keep communication clear and open. She prioritizes respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and she avoids stigmatizing labels. Her work often draws from motivational interviewing, mindfulness, CBT, DBT, and TF-CBT, while staying flexible and tailoring conversations and goals to each person’s needs. She recognizes that reaching out for support takes courage, and she aims to offer steady guidance and empowerment whether therapy is brief or extends over time.