Richard O'ConnorClinical Social Work/Therapist, MSW, PhD

About

I specialize in mood disorders and anxiety. I've published five books--Undoing Depression is probably the most familiar---on depression, stress, and happiness, My latest, "Rewire," was released August 2014, and I'm working on a new book about self-destructive behavior. My approach is basically psychodynamic, with a lot of CBT and mindfulness. I believe that anyone can change--the brain can literally be rewired--but it takes a lot of patience and practice. Most of the people I meet have been battered around by life, and it's left scars--difficulty hoping, difficulty trusting. It's my job to mobilize that hope and trust. Most people seek treatment because of the effects of stress on a vulnerable individual. We have to understand what makes you vulnerable, but we also have to develop realistic plans for how to recover. People seem to have the most trouble with self-sabotaging behavioral, emotional, and thinking patterns

Specialties