Dr. Arlene O'Connor
Clinical Psychologist
949-916-0340
Helping your family Thrive
Your First Appointment
Welcome to my office. The decision to reach out for help is often difficult and I admire your courage to do so. Under my care you will find an unhurried pace; and my goal is for you to feel respected, valued and safe enough to explore your thoughts and emotions. I look forward to helping you resolve the problems you are experiencing.
Individual Therapy
In our first session, after listening and asking a variety of questions, I will give you an initial assessment that attempts to capture your problem, offer some useful perspective on the factors that may be contributing to the problem, and suggest important steps that will likely be necessary in resolving these problems and helping you achieve your goals. I encourage you to ask me any questions that you have about the therapy process or my background.
By the end of our initial meeting, I will share my impressions of how I may provide help or I’ll refer you to other providers or resources in the area that may better meet your needs. If we decide to work together, a clear outline of the goals you would like to accomplish will be defined. With these mutually agreed goals in mind, a treatment plan will be developed for you.
Couples Therapy
If you are coming for Couples Therapy, your first appointment will be for both partners and will last approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. After the first joint session, a comprehensive Couples Questionnaire is given to each of you to complete, prior to the next session, which is an individual meeting with each partner (lasting about 45 minutes each). Those three meetings will allow me to give you a comprehensive initial evaluation of your relationship and a treatment plan for marital therapy.
Family Therapy
If you are coming for Family Therapy, your first appointment will most likely include all family members living in the household and will last from about one hour and fifteen minutes to one hour and a half. There are some situations where it might be more useful to meet first with the parents and child separately, including siblings at a later date. I will be happy to discuss these options with you over the phone prior to the first meeting
"My relationship with you is respected and valued"
Patient Testimonial
"...We were fighting all the time and saying really mean things to each other...Dr. O'Connor is very easy to talk to and my husband and I found ourselves talking about things we had never talked about. We feel much closer to each other now. We are respecting each other now and when we fight we no longer aim to hurt each other"
--M & J Former patients
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