Mark O'Connell, Psychotherapist

Oh, hay-eee, Summer... No no, you were totally invited. You’re just really REALLY early. I’m still getting things ready but, please, come in. #NYC #79degrees #SummerinMarch #NotComplainingBut #Weirdness #climatechange

A year ago today I decided to start working from home, out of caution, and this morning I got my first shot of the Pfizer vaccine. So far the only side effect is a second wind of hope. The set-up at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn is organized, seamless, and the staff are all super friendly. Also the sun is shining, I was able to reschedule clients, and I even made it home in time to put my boy down for his nap, as usual, which is all to say: We can DO this! As for booking... the appointment... I had to refresh Turbo Vax several times a day for weeks before something popped up near home, but it eventually did. If you or anyone you know is eligible for the vaccine at this time and can’t get an appointment, don’t give up. Check TurboVax.com and Wallgreens.com (and any other official site that has been recommended to you) several times a day, and please help your less tech-savvy family and friends to do the same. There are all kinds of glitches on the sites and other little complications that make getting an appointment a little tricky, but keep trying! There’s light ahead. #covid #vaccine #appointment #turbovax #keeptrying #WeAreAllInThisTogether See more

I often say that acting and therapy are very much the same art form and I'm often misunderstood. Fortunately, mental health advocate and wonderful chat show host, Momma Foxfire gave me the opportunity to explain what I mean (in short, acting is the art of finding truth, not the craft of being fake). Momma Foxfire's talk show on Twitch promotes various open discussions about mental, emotional, and relational health. Here are a few highlights from our discussion, which include how I transitioned from being an actor to becoming a therapist, how acting informs my work, how I determine if a client (or scene partner) is withholding something from me, and what my favorite poems are and why. #ThePerformingArtOfTherapy #Therapy #Acting #Listening #Empathy #Psychotherapy #MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #WeAreAllManyThings #MommaFoxfire