Dr. O’Grady holds a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California and an undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley. Her work in psychology and trauma began during her doctoral studies, where she conducted research in the Middle East on the effects of war on children. That experience shaped her long-standing interest in how overwhelming life events affect emotional wellbeing, relationships, and a person’s sense of safety in the world.

​

Over the course of her career, she has worked with individuals impacted by a wide range of difficult and often life-altering experiences, including violence, military deployment, sexual trauma, and other forms of acute psychological distress. This work has deepened her understanding of how people adapt, survive, and ultimately heal from both extreme events and more personal, relational forms of emotional pain.

​

Today, in her private practice, Dr. O’Grady works with individuals navigating stress, anxiety, and life transitions, as well as those living with the lingering effects of trauma or PTSD. Many of the people she sees are moving through periods of change or uncertainty, including breakups, family strain, caregiving responsibilities, loss, or times when life feels emotionally overwhelming or unsteady.

​

Her work is warm, grounded, and collaborative. She places emphasis on creating a space where clients feel safe, seen, and supported as they make sense of what they are experiencing and begin to reconnect with a greater sense of steadiness in their lives.  She also uses EMDR therapy to help clients process both early painful experiences and more recent life events that continue to shape how they feel, relate, and experience life today.
:::