Dr. Kaitlin O’Brien
Post Doctoral Resident
Dr. Kaitlin O’Brien is a clinical psychology resident who is practicing in Coral Springs, Plantation, and East Fort Lauderdale. She completed her Master of Science and Doctor of Psychology, Clinical Psychology degrees at the American Psychological Association’s (APA) accredited program at Nova Southeastern University (NSU).
During her years of extensive training, she specialized in trauma and abuse throughout the lifespan, with specific interests in treating sexual trauma and first responder/military trauma and completed the APA-accredited concentration at NSU. While at Nova she completed clinical practica in the Adolescent Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment (ADAPT) clinic, the Trauma Resolution and Integration Program (TRIP) at NSU, and completed an additional practicum at the nonprofit organization Childnet.
Her internship and post-doctoral residency were completed through Veteran Affairs centers where she furthered her trauma specialty education completing a predoctoral internship at the West Palm Beach VA with a specialty in PTSD/SUDS and completing her postdoctoral fellowship at the Veteran Affairs Pacific Islands Healthcare System with a specialty in Military sexual trauma, gaining additional experience in the PTSD clinic as well as the Women’s Health clinic. After residency with the VA, Dr. O’Brien worked at Kahi Mohala Sutter Health, a residential facility in Hawaii, which had residential units for children, teens, and adults. While at Kahi Mohala, Dr. O’Brien completed psychological assessments, individual, family, and group therapy to patients within all units. She further expanded and revamped the programming on the residential female unit, where the majority of patients were teens rescued from human trafficking. In addition, she provided trainings and education on sexual trauma and trafficking to staff working within these units.
Dr. O’Brien is a clinician who is integrative and collaborative in nature and uses approaches that are evidenced based. She has training in multiple Cognitive Behavioral Therapy based treatments as well as Dynamic and Emotion Focused therapies. She is additionally expanding her training in whole health-based approaches to give her clients well rounded holistic care as she believes in having a balanced whole health approach treating mind, body, and spirit. She utilizes individual strengths and forms collaborative relationship with her clients to personalize treatments leading to enhanced recovery and growth. She has a passion for researching and raising awareness on trauma and its impact on development, attachment, and self-esteem. Her hope, through research and education, is to raise awareness and reduce the stigma associated with mental health disorders and the impact trauma has on someone’s self-esteem and self-efficacy.
Dr. O’Brien works with all ages and provides psychological testing, consultation/education, individual, family, and group therapy. She specializes in trauma throughout the lifespan, with interests in first responder/military trauma, sexual trauma, personality disorders, substance abuse, mood disorders, life transitions, and self-esteem difficulties.
