DonnaMaria O'Connor

DonnaMaria O'Connor is a licensed marriage and family therapist practicing in California. She brings about 20 years of clinical experience helping people navigate relationship strain, family conflict, parenting challenges, and divorce and co-parenting concerns. DonnaMaria emphasizes respect and empathy in her work and treats each person she sees with acceptance.

She believes clients are the experts on their own stories and draws on their strengths to address the problems they face. Her role is to help identify patterns and find practical ways forward. Sessions focus on clear goals and steps people can try between meetings.

DonnaMaria uses straightforward, collaborative methods to support change. She aims to create a calm, nonjudgmental space where people can speak openly and try new approaches to communication and problem solving. The emphasis is on useful, doable strategies rather than long technical explanations.

Over two decades she has worked with issues such as blended family stress, caregiver burden, communication breakdowns, anger, and domestic violence. She also helps people adjust to major life changes and the practical challenges of separation and divorce.

Clients can expect a warm, practical therapist who listens first and offers concrete steps next. The process begins with understanding immediate concerns and then building skills to improve interactions and reduce daily stress.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

DonnaMaria uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors; CBT is often focused on practical steps to change patterns. The Gottman Method is used to improve communication and reduce conflict by teaching specific interaction skills and exercises to practice. Solution-Focused Therapy centers on small goal-oriented changes and finding what already works so people can build from their strengths.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. She will work with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences. That choice can evolve as sessions proceed, and she adjusts the plan based on what is helpful in real life.

Session formats are not listed in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and avoid travel time. It also makes it simpler to continue progress after separation or during life transitions by keeping sessions accessible around existing commitments.