Seamus O'Connor, LMFT - Therapy, Counseling and Coaching

Name: seamus o'connor
Address: Southern California

We are trying to lead the best possible life, which is a pursuit that aligns with the principles of psychotherapy. What could be more important to a person with any sense at all? Socrates 470 BCE.

Contact: oconnsd@gmail.com

Seamus O'Connor LMFT

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Seamus O'Connor

Seamus O'Connor is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Life Coach with over 30 years of experience in psychotherapy practice in California. He runs an active psychotherapy practice and consultancy based in Southern California, focusing on mental health concerns that stem from relational and professional challenges, such as stress, anxiety, and addictive disorders. As a Clinical Member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT), he adheres to and exceeds the professional and ethical standards set by his peers and the professional licensing board.

What I Do

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Psychotherapy

Individual Psychotherapy involves various techniques such as stress management, cognitive therapy (CBT/RET), and support for addiction recovery.

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Coaching

Career/Profession Coaching through Psychotherapy, Values Clarifying, Addiction Recovery Coaching, and Life Narrative Reframing.

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Seminars/Lectures

Stress Management Lectures, Workshops/Retreats focusing on Values Clarification, Small Group Seminars, and Addiction Recovery Retreats are all integral parts of our psychotherapy offerings.

Psychotherapy

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Though skilled in more traditional psychodynamic therapy, Seamus often favors the result-oriented approach of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in certain situations. This form of psychotherapy is most often recommended for individuals suffering from stress-related disorders, depression, and anxiety. Additionally, Cognitive Therapy is highly regarded as a supportive psychotherapy for those in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Its efficiency lies in being short-term and effective, as it quickly addresses the problem and provides remedies. Clients in cognitive therapy learn skills that they can apply to various areas of life beyond the specific issues for which they sought therapy.

Beyond Psychotherapy

In the past, psychotherapy has concentrated almost exclusively on psychopathology (psychological sickness), often leaving the exploration of achieving a life that fulfills one's authentic creativity to other disciplines. It has become increasingly clear that these two concerns—psychotherapy and the pursuit of creativity—are irrevocably intertwined. How can one be truly happy when merely tolerating one's life? How can one harness creative energy when it takes all one has just to get through the day? Seamus’ focus in therapy emphasizes the healing and flourishing of the whole person rather than simply 'fixing' some stress-produced symptom. Clients often discover during psychotherapy that they have been seeking much more than just symptom relief. They may have achieved relief from debilitating stress, addictive behavior, or obsessive-compulsive cycles, yet still feel a nagging emptiness due to a lack of purpose or direction. In these instances, Seamus partners with the client in a courageous exploration of aspects of themselves that have been hidden behind a 'false self'—a mask that helped them survive their formative years but now restricts their mature adulthood. Hidden within this outer protective layer lies one's authentic creative energy, just waiting to be tapped into.

Coaching

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Career and Life Coaching

For those who find themselves in a quandary about their career or other aspects of life:

“I don’t know what work I should be doing?”

“My life/relationship doesn’t seem to be going anywhere?”

“I have a longing to be creative but seem to be stuck.”

Seamus' skills as a Career & Life Coach, complemented by principles of psychotherapy, can help individuals clarify their goals and systematically move toward achieving these objectives efficiently.

The rewards derived from this process lie in realizing accomplishments that were once merely dreams.

[Dreams are goals without legs]

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Recovery Coaching

Psychotherapy is often found to be a useful adjunct to one's primary Recovery Program. It can assist a person working on their recovery from an addictive disorder to uncover other issues that may be underlying and driving the symptomatic addictive behavior.

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Values Clarification

"Values" are those things in our life that are truly worth worrying about. Without a clear scale of values, one tends to react to every urgency—whether it is worth it or not. It is often essential and always valuable to discuss with a skilled life coach or engage in psychotherapy to understand where exactly one's priorities lie. We have a finite supply of energy, and to be effective, we need to budget that wisely.

Narrative Reframing

"It is not external events that distress us but our interpretation of their significance." [Epictetus, b. 55ce] This ancient wisdom is as practical today as it was two thousand years ago. My Narrative is the interface between what is happening and how my internal systems are reacting to it. In the context of psychotherapy, together with Values Clarification, Narrative Reframing helps in resetting the course of our lives - especially when we are not living the life we know we are capable of leading.