Dr. Heather Ann O’Brien, PsyD, PMH-C is a clinical psychologist licensed in Washington who has the Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) in all PSYPACT states. She has advanced degrees from CACREP-accredited and APA-accredited programs and completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veteran Affairs Medical Center. Dr. O'Brien spent the first six years of her career serving within the Department of Defense healthcare system, as a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force and then as an addictions specialist in the United States Navy. She is passionate about integrated behavioral health care and has directed programs in primary care, internal medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology clinics.
Dr. O’Brien specializes in psychological assessment, reproductive mental health, and the evidence-based treatment of anxiety, trauma-related symptoms, and ADHD. She has completed the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s Mental Health Professional Group (MHPG) advanced training and was certified as a Perinatal Mental Health Professional (PMH-C) by Postpartum Support International in 2023. In addition to her clinical practice, she is committed to advancing the health and well-being of medical professionals who serve her community through her work with the Washington Physicians Health Program. Dr. O’Brien is a professional member of the American Psychological Association, Washington Psychological Association, American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s Mental Health Professional Group, the Pacific Northwest Neuropsychological Society, and Federation of State Physician Health Programs.
APPROACH
Dr. O'Brien provides individualized care in a supportive and collaborative environment. She approaches her clinical work from a place of equality and with warmth, compassion, authenticity, and a touch of playfulness and creativity. After clarifying and prioritizing your values and aspirations for your life and treatment, she will utilize evidence-based practices to empower you with the tools and insights needed to navigate life's challenges while cultivating stability and well-being. Dr. O'Brien employs an integrative therapeutic approach, blending psychodynamic and relational therapies with evidence-based treatments such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). She will also integrate mindfulness-based therapies, feminist psychotherapy models, and motivational interviewing (MI) into her work.
In addition to individual therapy, Dr. O'Brien offers a variety of psychological assessment packages that can be customized to provide depth-oriented insight and recommendations to improve your well-being. She also provides perinatal consultation appointments, third-party reproduction evaluations, presurgical evaluations, social security disability evaluations, veteran compensation and pension evaluations, substance use evaluations, and workers' compensation evaluations.