Maureen O’Connell , LCMHC

Maureen O’Connell is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) practicing in North Carolina with 21 years of experience supporting people through anxiety, obsessive-compulsive challenges, trauma, and relationship and family concerns. She approaches work from a trauma-informed perspective, helping clients identify how past experiences and family patterns can interfere with being present, calm, and aligned with their values. Maureen frames therapy as a compassionate, skill-based process that narrows the gap between what a person values and how they function day to day.

She integrates a range of evidence-informed methods - including cognitive behavioral strategies, acceptance and commitment techniques, exposure and response prevention, internal family systems work, mindfulness-based stress reduction, family systems theory, and attachment-focused ideas - to tailor treatment to each client’s needs. This integrative stance aims to teach practical skills and promote gradual change, allowing clients to move out of repetitive anxiety cycles and toward greater inner harmony.

In her private practice, Best Self Therapy & Wellness, Maureen helps clients not only cope but heal and thrive. She emphasizes compassion, curiosity, and collaboration, and encourages anyone feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, trauma, or relationship issues to take a first brave step toward support.

Evidence-informed approaches for online care

Maureen O’Connell draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Mindfulness Therapy in online work. ACT focuses on clarifying personal values and building willingness to act in ways that matter, which can help with anxiety, avoidance, and difficulties finding direction. CBT involves identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors through practical exercises, making it useful for panic, social anxiety, OCD patterns, and many stress-related concerns. Mindfulness Therapy teaches present-moment awareness and stress-reduction practices to reduce reactivity and increase emotional regulation, supporting recovery from trauma-related symptoms and ongoing anxiety.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the process, and Maureen collaborates with each person to determine which methods best fit their goals, history, and preferences. She blends techniques as needed and adjusts the plan based on progress and feedback.

Online sessions - whether by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging - offer flexibility for scheduling and make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives. These options allow clients to work with licensed professionals from familiar settings while still receiving structured, evidence-informed care tailored to their needs.