Irene O’Neill
M.SEd, LPC, SEP, NARM Therapist

Finding a therapist and engaging in therapy requires profound courage. I consider it one of my greatest privileges to accompany clients as they navigate life’s challenges, do the inner work, and explore their deepest desires. Daring to hope for our dreams in a world filled with pain and chaos isn’t easy, but it's often rewarding. I aim to help you cultivate the agency needed for the life you desire. I want you to know that change is possible even when it feels impossible, and it starts from within. I deeply believe that healing and a sense of fulfillment develop from a solid relationship with yourself. Your relationship with yourself can be one of the greatest love stories ever told.

I operate from a strengths-based, non-pathologizing perspective, viewing mental health challenges as healthy responses to trauma or difficult experiences. I focus on present issues rather than delving extensively into the past, helping clients explore how early experiences shape current patterns, leading to meaningful change. I integrate nervous system regulation into my practice, recognizing its role in transforming thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Understanding our biology allows us to work effectively towards lasting change—it’s about biology, not mental weakness.

I believe in our innate ability to heal ourselves given the right conditions, and therapy and coaching is a significant step towards creating those conditions. A life-long learner, I remain committed to ongoing training, supervision, and consultation. Drawing from over 25 years of personal development, my mid-life career transition into counseling complements a decade of experience in HR supporting leaders and teams as a facilitator and an Executive and Life Coach.

I have experience and enjoy supporting individuals who are facing:

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • PTSD and/or C-PTSD (Complex PTSD)

  • Codependency

  • Self-criticism & low self-esteem

  • Grief

  • Difficulty being alone

  • Boundary setting

  • Intimacy challenges (emotional, sexual, relational)

  • LGBTQIA+ exploration and challenges

  • Life transitions

  • Work challenges
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My qualifications include:

  • Licensed Professional Counselor (C.24059902024)

  • Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP)

  • Neuroaffective Relational Model (NARM) Therapist

  • Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with ICF

  • Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC)

Education:
Masters of Science, Clinical Mental Health Counseling
University of Dayton, 2024

Bachelors of Art, Speech Communication
Fairmont University, 2000

Trainings and Certifications:

  • Licensed Professional Counselor (C.24059902024), 2024

  • Somatic Experiencing Training Assistant, Beginner and Intermediate Years, 2024-2025

  • Somatic Inner Relationship Focusing, 2025

  • Self-Led Sexuality through Internal Family Systems Therapy, 2025

  • Gottman Level 1, 2025

  • NARM, 2023-2024

  • Somatic Experiencing Practitioner Training, 2020 - 2023

  • Somatic Experiencing Master Class with Peter Levine, PhD. Covid, Post ICU, Ventilator Trauma 2021

  • Somatic Experiencing Master Class, Therapeutic Presence, Rhythm, and Connection, 2020

  • Associate Certified Coach (ACC), International Coaching Federation, 2018

  • Certified Co-Active Professional Coach (CPCC), Co-Active Training Institute, 2017

  • Community Resiliency Model Trainer, Trauma Resource Institute, 2020

  • Biodynamic Cranial Sacral Therapy, Modules 1-4, 2017-2018

  • Nonviolent Communication, Living Peace: Integrating Compassion into your Everyday Life, 2017

  • Nonviolent Communication, Dancing Through Life with Compassion: Education Series, 2017

  • Nonviolent Communication, Speaking and Listening from the Heart, 2016

  • Nonviolent Communication, The Path to Self-Compassion with Interpersonal Neurobiology, 2016