DonnaMaria O'Connor , LMFT

DonnaMaria O'Connor is a California-licensed LMFT - a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - with 20 years of professional experience working with families and individuals through challenging life moments. Her practice centers on relationship and family concerns, parenting and co-parenting difficulties, divorce and separation, blended family dynamics, caregiver stress, communication problems, anger, and coping with life changes. She approaches each case with empathy, acceptance, and respect, aiming to create an environment where clients can explore what matters most to them.

DonnaMaria believes clients are the experts on their own stories and that existing strengths can be leveraged to overcome current challenges. Her role is to help identify patterns and practical solutions while supporting clients as they take steps toward change. She emphasizes collaborative work to improve communication, resolve conflict, and strengthen family connections when possible. With a focus on realistic strategies and compassionate guidance, DonnaMaria supports people navigating separation, parenting transitions, and other relational stresses without judgment.

Evidence-based approaches for relationships and family work online

DonnaMaria draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and replace them with more adaptive patterns. CBT is often useful for managing anger, coping with life changes, and reducing stress by teaching practical skills and strategies.

She also incorporates the Gottman Method for couples and family-focused work - a research-informed approach that emphasizes communication skills, conflict management, and rebuilding trust. This method can be helpful for couples dealing with recurring arguments, separation, or co-parenting challenges.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. DonnaMaria works collaboratively with clients to determine which tools and methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and adjusts the plan as therapy progresses to ensure the best possible fit.

Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, making it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules and to access licensed professionals from different locations within the therapist's service area. These options support continuity of care and allow therapists to deliver practical strategies and support in a format that matches each client's life and needs.