Clinical Staff
Ashley O'Hearn, Psy.D. (She/Her/Hers)
Dr. O'Hearn received a doctorate in clinical psychology from William James College located in Newton, MA in 2021. She completed an American Psychological Association (APA) internship at the University of Kansas where she received training in Cognitive Processing Therapy, AD/HD testing and diagnosing, as well as honed her training in psychodynamic therapy. Prior to this, she was supervised by Harvard affiliates and professors who taught at psychoanalytic institutes.
Dr. O'Hearn began an independent practice in 2022 and shortly after decided to join forces with Scott Smith, LMHC to establish Insights Psychological Services, PLLC. Her intention was to create a safe and supportive environment for both the clinical staff and clients. Thus, cultivating a conducive environment for self-reflection, learning, and growth.
Dr. O'Hearn utilizes a relational psychodynamic framework with integrative techniques. Meaning, relationships and life experiences that someone has had, shapes who they are today. Everyone has unique needs and thus Dr. O'Hearn will pull from other evidence-based therapies (e.g., DBT, CBT, CPT, and mindfulness and relaxation techniques) to tailor and provide specific, targeted treatments as well.
Dr. O'Hearn enjoys working with millennials ages 22 to 40 years old who are high-achieving college students, early-career professionals, or professionals in the helping field. She specializes in helping individuals who experience symptoms of perfectionism, anxiety, low moods, low self-esteem/lack of assertiveness, trauma, and/or relationship difficulties, or familial conflict. Her style is warm, personal, and attuned to what clients are feeling in order to help facilitate insight in the moment. Dr. O'Hearn is a big proponent of empowering her clients and helping them to gain assertiveness skills and boundary setting.
Scott Smith, LMHC He/Him/His
Scott Smith received a Master of Arts from Assumption College in 2007, with a specialization in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for adults. Scott completed his internship at a top tier training site, The Bridge of Central Massachusetts, where he received additional intensive training in dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) for individuals and groups. Scott has decades of experience working in multiple agencies and group practices, helping individuals and couples who have a wide range of diagnoses.
In 2019, Scott began a solo practice focusing on couple therapy using emotional focus therapy (EFT). Scott realized he enjoys collaboration with other providers and decided to form Insights Psychological Services, PLLC with Ashley O'Hearn, Psy.D. to fulfill a dream as well as a need for the mental health community in Boston. Scott is excited about the prospects of clients having an authentic experience and clinicians being invested as much as the individuals are in their treatment.
Scott enjoys working with adult individuals and couples (ages 20's to 50's) who are experiencing anxiety, depression, and relationship difficulties. More specifically, Scott likes working with clients who want to gain awareness and insight surrounding their maladaptive behavioral patterns in order to promote change. Those who are in an existential crisis and seeking resolution, would likely be a good fit working with Scott.
In terms of helping individuals, Scott provides psychological counseling using a CBT framework through a relational lens. He puts emphasis on learning about his clients' lived experience, while also pushing for change by challenging negative held beliefs or schemata. Scott is sensitive to clients feeling uncomfortable sharing their vulnerabilities and uses validation and encouragement throughout the therapy process to help clients feel understood.
When working with couples, Scott uses EFT to help his clients identify the problematic dynamic that occurs in the relationship. He assists each individual of the partnership in identifying their emotional experience when a rupture has occurred as well as aids them in taking an empathetic stance with their partner in order to repair the injury. Additionally, Scott incorporates his DBT training to help couples better communicate to one another in an effective manner.
Stylistically, Scott also guides his clients through the entire therapy process to create safety so that clients are able to gradually be able to tolerate uncomfortable feelings. Scott provides his individual and couple clients emotional consulting meaning that he provides feedback on what clients might be doing behaviorally that once was helpful but now is potentially keeping them stuck and unable to move forward toward their life goals. He uses humor and irreverence as a great therapeutic tool.