I am a Licensed Clinical
Social Worker with more than 20 years professional experience and am in private
practice at the Austin Attachment and
After completing a Master of Divinity
degree at Harvard, where my interests were religious traditions of the world
and cross-cultural service, I received a Master of Social Work degree from
Underlying all my clinical
work are three key concepts:
Attachment
theory describes the healthy foundational relationship between parent and child
created in the first three years of life that gives a person a sense of basic
trust in self and others, and a sense of safety in the world. Secure attachment is the basis for both child
and adult development across all domains: physical, social, intellectual,
emotional and spiritual. The creation of
secure attachment relationships and the repair of attachment wounds or
challenges in infants, children, adults, and couples’ relationships is a
primary focus of my clinical work.
Family systems
theory provides a framework for recognizing that none of us stands alone. None
of us can be fully known in isolation from our primary relationships. Each of
us is born into specific family relationships that influence our development and
that color our ways of being, even after we have long ago left our families of
origin. These multiple relationships give a broader context of strengths and
weaknesses, and patterns of behavior than we could see if we looked only at the
nature of the individual and his or her internal psychology. Even when working
with individuals I am informed by family systems theory.
I am committed to learning
and incorporating the latest, cutting edge research on healing trauma in my work. Recent advances in neuroscience,
attachment theory, prenatal and perinatal psychology, and somatic psychology
inform my practice and treatment methods. I use Eye Movement Desensitization
and Reprocessing (EMDR), a proven modality for treatment of trauma, and I
integrate Somatic Experiencing methods, including healing touch, as appropriate
in my work.
I am a frequent presenter and
member of
Contact information: Patricia Axsom O’Brien, M.Div., LCSW
Tel: 512-699-8347 Fax: 512-206-0030