Meet Our Team
Peter O’Brien, LMHC
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Wait list for new clients
Groups Served: Adults & Older Adults
Services: Individual therapy
Availability: In-person and telehealth sessions
Insurance: Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield/Anthem, Harvard Pilgrim Health Plan, Mass General Brigham Health Plan, Optum, Tufts Health Plan (commercial plans only), United Healthcare
Top Specialties: Anxiety, Depression, Trauma/PTSD, Grief/Loss, Midlife Transitions and Identity
Other Issues: Burnout, Chronic Pain, Men’s Health, Social Anxiety, Midlife Challenges, Intimacy and Relationship Concerns
I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and provide individual therapy to adults, both in person and via telehealth. I work with people experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, the lasting impact of difficult early life experiences, navigating major life transitions, relational concerns, or challenges with emotional regulation. My clinical experience spans; outpatient clinics, medical settings, partial hospitalization programs, group therapy and correctional services — including trauma-focused care and supportive work across diverse treatment contexts. Many of the clients I work with feel overwhelmed, burnt out, or stuck in patterns of overthinking and emotional exhaustion.
I also bring an international perspective to my work, having practiced as a Licensed Psychologist in Australia since 2007. Establishing and sustaining a private practice in the city of Sydney, the most competitive metropolitan market requiring clinical depth, discretion, and a strong referral reputation.
This broad professional background shapes how I work today. It informs how I understand both acute distress and the longer-standing patterns that can leave people feeling overwhelmed, depleted, or disconnected from themselves. My approach is grounded, thoughtful, and collaborative, with a focus on helping clients regain clarity, emotional steadiness, and a stronger sense of agency in their lives.
My Approach to Therapy
I bring a non-judgmental, compassionate, and steady presence to each session. Therapy with me is collaborative, reflective, and paced to meet you where you are. In our work together, I aim to help you:
Explore your thoughts, emotions, and personal goals with clarity
Feel genuinely heard and understood
Develop insight and practical tools that support lasting change
I value warmth, curiosity, and openness in the therapeutic relationship. Our sessions offer a space for reflection—where silence, perspective, and emotional honesty are not only allowed, but welcomed.
At Essential Insights Counseling Center, there isn’t a “one size fits all” approach to therapy.
It’s important to me to stay open to any feedback and any questions you may have. I want to ensure the process is collaborative and focused on therapy outcomes.
“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.”
― Carl Rogers
My Philosophic Foundation
My therapeutic approach is shaped by both existential philosophy and Stoic thought. From an existential perspective, I understand emotional distress as often emerging during times when life feels disorienting, constrained, or disconnected from meaning. Stoic philosophy complements this by offering a grounded framework for navigating difficulty—focusing on agency, values, and responding to life with clarity rather than avoidance.
Together, these perspectives frame therapy as a space for reflection, honesty, and recalibration. Rather than striving to “fix” oneself, the work centers on learning how to live more deliberately, tolerate uncertainty, and engage with life in a way that feels steadier and more authentic.
My Professional Background
I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Massachusetts. I became a licensed Australian Psychologist in 2007 consulting at a spinal pain clinic and a medical center in the city of Sydney till 2018. I have since received my Masters in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Massachusetts in Boston. In addition, I have local work experience at a community center, a psychiatric treatment facility, a medium security prison and as an associate within a private practice. The larger scope of treatment facility contexts enables a way to better understand what clients are thinking and feeling while normalizing what they are experiencing.
Are you ready to make a change? Get started with therapy today.
Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation with our intake coordinator in our online scheduler. During your initial call, you can share what’s going on for you and ask us any questions you may have. Through understanding your needs, we will help you choose the best therapist for you, answer any questions you might have, and schedule your first session.