DC, MD & VA
You're not malfunctioning. You're adapting in ways that once made sense.
Brendan O'Connell is a licensed therapist in Washington, DC working with teens and adults. He specializes in trauma, relationship struggles, self-worth, and neurodivergence, drawing on EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Somatic Experiencing.
His approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in what's actually happening in your body and your life. Healing doesn't require reliving everything. It can start with getting curious about what's going on inside, and going from there.
Clinical Experience
Education & Licensure
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I hold a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland.
I am licensed as a Graduate Social Worker in the District of Columbia (License No. LG200004711, exp. January 2028) and as a Licensed Master Social Worker in Maryland (License No. 33598, exp. October 2027).
Certifications and Trainings
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I completed IFS Level 1 Training through the IFS Institute in Lisbon, Portugal (September to November 2025) and IFS Level 2 Deepening and Expanding Training through the Israeli Institute for IFS (May 2026). Both programs are part of the IFS Institute's official training sequence, founded by Richard C. Schwartz, PhD.
I completed EMDR Basic Training Parts 1 and 2 through the Manhattan Center for Trauma Studies with EMDRIA-Approved Trainer Dr. Pria Alpern (February 2026, 40 instructional hours).
I have also completed Somatic Experiencing training and continue to pursue advanced training through Somatic Experiencing International.
Warm, Collaborative, and Body-Aware
Brendan's approach starts from a simple premise: change happens in relationship. That means showing up as a real, present person in the room.
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Starting with curiosity
Brendan comes to sessions genuinely curious about your experience. First sessions are exploratory and pressure-free. There's no predetermined map.
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Bringing the body in
Insight alone often isn't enough. Brendan's training in Somatic Experiencing and EMDR means sessions attend to what your nervous system is holding, alongside what your mind is saying.
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Getting curious about your parts
Through an IFS lens, even the most challenging patterns, the self-critic, the avoider, the overachiever, have a logic to them. Understanding that logic is part of how things shift.
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Moving at your pace
Therapy should feel like a collaboration. Brendan takes cues from you about when to go deeper and when to stay with what's present. Nothing is rushed.
How Brendan Works
Brendan draws on three approaches that work well together. Each one opens a different door into the same room.
Most of us have parts of ourselves that feel at war: the part that wants to rest and the part that won't let you, the part that reaches out and the part that pulls back. IFS helps you get to know those parts, understand what they're trying to do, and work with them instead of fighting them.
Learn about IFS Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing EMDREMDR helps your brain finish processing memories that got stuck. Using bilateral stimulation (guided eye movements, taps, or sounds), it reduces the emotional charge of difficult experiences without requiring you to describe them in detail. You don't have to relive what happened to heal from it.
Learn about EMDR Somatic Experiencing SETrauma lives in the body, in the tightness in your chest, the way you brace before certain conversations, the feeling of being on edge for no clear reason. Somatic Experiencing, developed by Dr. Peter Levine, works directly with those physical responses to help your nervous system find its way back to safety.
Learn about Somatic TherapyLet's See if We're a Good Fit
A free 15-minute consultation is a good way to ask questions, share what's been going on, and see if working together makes sense. No commitment required.
Schedule a Free ConsultationIn-Person and Telehealth
Brendan sees clients in person at our Dupont Circle office and via telehealth across DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
Dupont Circle Office
1350 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 1030
Washington, DC 20036
Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Near the Dupont Circle Metro stop on the Red Line. Street parking available nearby.
Virtual Sessions
Available to clients in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
Secure, HIPAA-compliant video sessions.
Telehealth is available at the same times as in-person sessions, and sessions can alternate between the two formats as needed.
Full Self Psychotherapy
Full Self Psychotherapy is a trauma-focused group practice serving adults and teens in Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland, offering both in-person sessions at their Dupont Circle office and virtual therapy via secure telehealth.
Led by Margot Lamson, LICSW, alongside therapists Molly Michael and Brendan O'Connell, the practice specializes in trauma, anxiety, ADHD, self-esteem, and life transitions using evidence-based, body-centered modalities including EMDR, Internal Family Systems, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy.
To learn more or schedule a free consultation, visit fullselfpsychotherapy.com.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or having thoughts of suicide, please call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or go to your nearest emergency room. Full Self Psychotherapy does not provide crisis services. For non-emergency questions, contact us at margot@fullselfpsychotherapy.com or (202) 894-9307.