About Me & My Approach
42 PALMS WELL-BEING OASIS·MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2020·
Glenda O'Connor, Licensed Mental Health Counselor
I graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 1985 and worked in the marine transportation industry for many years. I married my life partner, Scott, in 1983, and we have worked through many challenging life events together. We have been blessed with many a
mazing life memories to show for our time as a family. Our children are married and we are looking forward to grandchildren. I worked with distressed families as a Guardian Ad Litem for 4 years while studying for my Licensed Mental Health Counseling Degree. I spent 2 years working with distressed drug addicts at the Methadone Clinic and youth in crisis at Child Guidance while seeking licensure. I took my Masters from the University of North Florida in 2010 and have enjoyed working with families in crisis since. I spent almost 5 years at Safe Harbor Boys Home creating a counseling program for our families as the boys made the many needed adjustments to their lives
MY THEORY
I embrace an eclectic approach to counseling with an emphasis on systemic psychotherapy and existentialism. Systemic psychotherapy puts the emphasis that a family plays a vital role in its own recovery and psychological health. Existentialism puts an emphasis on concepts of freedom, responsibility, death, relationships, self-awareness, life long learning, growth, development, and life meaning in ones quest in life. My goal is to never impinge my values and or beliefs upon my clients but to help them define their own values and to live by them. At times, a client may also need to be matched with therapeutic techniques that better fit the unique situation. I can and will incorporate CBT, ACT, DBT, Acceptance and Person Centered therapies at these times. My strengths lie in my ability to be honest and caring while offering strong boundaries and solution focused results. It takes more to change ones internal core than surface beliefs. The surface is more the proving ground for life experiences and perceptions. It is a comfortable place to try things on, and if they work, to incorporate them and or to discard them. I enjoy working with my clients to help them define the changes they would like to make in their lives.
