Pavlo OConnor

Finding a therapist can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re already carrying anxiety, depression, relationship stress, or major life changes. My goal is to create a space where you feel understood, supported, and gently challenged as we work toward meaningful change together.

Before becoming a therapist, I worked internationally in the corporate world, giving me firsthand experience with stress, burnout, career transitions, and adapting to new cultures. As an immigrant, I also understand what it can feel like to rebuild a sense of identity and belonging. Those experiences help me connect with clients navigating change, uncertainty, or feeling stuck.

I earned my Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles and am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. My approach is collaborative, relational, and trauma-informed, integrating evidence-based therapies including CBT, ACT, DBT, mindfulness, and somatic techniques. I believe therapy should be tailored to you—balancing practical tools with deeper exploration of the patterns that shape your life.

I work with adults and couples experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, life transitions, work stress, burnout, identity exploration, and self-esteem concerns. I also enjoy working with LGBTQ+ clients, immigrants, and professionals navigating cultural transitions, while welcoming people from all backgrounds and identities.

Outside of therapy, I enjoy photography, music, films, and spending time outdoors with my family. I believe healing happens not only by reducing distress but by reconnecting with curiosity, meaning, and the parts of life that bring us joy.

I believe therapy works best when it feels like a genuine conversation built on trust, curiosity, and collaboration. My role isn’t to tell you how to live your life, but to help you better understand yourself, develop practical tools, and move toward the life you want to create.

I tailor therapy to each person rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. Depending on your needs, I draw from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), mindfulness, and trauma-informed approaches. Together, we’ll explore both what’s happening in the present and the experiences that have shaped your patterns over time.

Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, identity questions, or major life transitions, my goal is to help you build resilience, deepen self-understanding, and reconnect with the values and relationships that matter most to you. I strive to create a space where you feel accepted, challenged when appropriate, and supported throughout the process.

Our first session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other. Rather than rushing to solve problems or arrive at a diagnosis, I’ll spend time learning about your story, your current concerns, and the experiences that have shaped your life. I’ll ask questions about different areas of your life—not because I’m looking for something to be “wrong,” but because I want to understand you as a whole person.

I approach this conversation with curiosity, not judgment. My goal is to create a space where you feel heard, respected, and comfortable sharing at your own pace. Together, we’ll begin identifying what brings you to therapy, what you hope will be different, and what strengths you already have that we can build upon.

By the end of our first session, you can expect to have a clearer sense of how I work, an opportunity to ask any questions you have, and a collaborative plan for where we’ll focus our work together. Building trust is an important part of therapy, and our first meeting is the beginning of that process.