Emily O'Hara?

Emily O'Hara

Psychologist

. North Chicago IL, - Show map

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About

Dr. Emily O'Hara is a clinical psychologist practicing in Chicago, IL within the VA setting. Dr. O'Hara specializes in the treatment of mental health symptoms, with a particular focus on trauma and health psychology. As a psychologist, Dr. O'Hara evaluates and treats patients through a variety of methods, most typically being psychotherapy or talk therapy. She often supplements her work with other mind-body practices and resources. Patients usually visit Dr. O'Hara because they have been experiencing symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, stress or anger for a significant period of time and are seeking help. Psychologists may perform a variety of exams and assessments to diagnose a mental condition.

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Emily O'Hara

Emily O'Hara's Expert Contributions

My Answers

Can patients with depression be treated with electrical stimulation?
Electric Convulsive Therapy (ECT) is an old yet at time effective treatment for very severe, treatment refractive depressive symptoms. This would never be a first line recommendation. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a much more gentle nerve stimulating treatment that has been studied in patients with depression. However, this would not be a first line treatment. These treatments are reserved for when traditional, evidence-based psychotherapy and medication interventions fail typically with more than one trial. READ MORE
Can you have a panic attack for no reason?
It may feel like it came out of the blue. But I bet if you spoke to a psychologist or psychiatrist and connected a few dots, lower level symptoms of anxiety were likely present prior to the actual panic attack. READ MORE
What causes someone to be a pill addict?
Increased tolerance and physiological/psychological dependence on the drug. READ MORE
Can panic disorders be cured?
Yes. Panic disorders can be cured and/or largely well-managed through the use of exposure-based therapies and/or desensitization techniques with the help of a trained provider familiar with exposure techniques. READ MORE
What is talk therapy used for?
First and foremost, talk therapy (psychotherapy) is used as a space for support. Depending on your presenting concerns, it can be powerful in processing current emotions, changing patterns of thought and behavior to facilitate a more adaptive lifestyle, and really anything you want to talk about or work through. Therapy does not have to be in depth, it can also be very solution-focused and brief depending on preference. READ MORE
What are psychodynamic techniques?
There are many, but it often involves exploring elements of potential unconscious content that has implications on our lives, though is not in our conscious awareness. After elements of the unconscious have been brought to the surface of conscious awareness, they can be processed, insight can be evoked, and you can work with it more adaptively (e.g., change patterns that need changing). READ MORE
Can anxiety cause physical pain symptoms?
Yes, anxiety may cause and/or exacerbate physical symptoms. READ MORE
Can you teach yourself cognitive behavioral therapy?
To some extent, yes. A brief round of therapy can help you do this effectively, and the overall goal of cognitive behavior therapy (and most therapies actually) is to ultimately have you be you implementing your own therapy on yourself. READ MORE
Can alcohol affect your emotions?
Alcohol can affect your emotions in a number of different ways. Alcohol acts as a central nervous system depressant, so while it may feel good and initially, longer term or more chronic use can place you at higher risk for depressive symptoms. READ MORE
How does anxiety cause shortness of breath?
Anxiety is housed in the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system. It’s rooted in the fight or flight response. When this response is triggered by stress, physiological symptoms such as shortness of breath, increased heart rate, sweating, etc., often accompany worries or fearful thought processes. READ MORE
Is chronic pain a psychological disorder?
Not necessarily, though it can be. Chronic pain can have many etiologies, though sometimes medical professionals cannot find a medical cause to chronic pain, and the question of “is the pain psychological” begins to become a part of the clinical picture. Sometimes when we are psychologically defended, the body will take on those emotional symptoms the mind is not ready to deal with, and it manifests in pain, though this is not always the case. Our psychology and the way we relate to our own pain can also relieve or exacerbate our experience of pain. READ MORE
What are the basic strategies for managing stress?
The key components to managing stress are first and foremost knowing what causes your stress and how stress presents itself in your life (or in your body, and/or your mind). Typically we can’t just make stress “go away,” so shifting how we relate to our stress and changing our behaviors in response to stress are the best types of management techniques. Time management, structure, and interpersonal boundaries are typically also productive routes for stress management. READ MORE
Are bipolar people manipulative?
People who have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder are not manipulative by nature. Symptoms of bipolar disorder involve manic (bipolar I) or hypomanic states (bipolar II), symptoms of which can lead to increased impulsivity and other risk-taking behaviors, which may involve actual manipulative behaviors, or manipulation as perceived by others. READ MORE
Is psychotherapy effective for anxiety?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been found to be effective for the treatment of anxiety. Depending on severity, trends in research also support the use of psychotherapy in conjunction with non habit-forming anxiety medications for greater symptom reduction. READ MORE
What is the best therapy for PTSD?
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE) are two gold standard psychotherapy treatments for PTSD. READ MORE
Can massage therapy reduce stress and anxiety?
Treating the body to relieve stress is just as important as the mind. So yes, massage can facilitate relief. Anxiety is also usually rooted in maladaptive thought patterns that are just not serving you any good any more. For that reason, cognitive-behavior therapy can also help. READ MORE
What is the difference between a therapist and psychologist?
A therapist can be either a psychologist or another certified mental health professional (counselor). The main difference is that a psychologist has a doctoral degree and can administer formal psychological evaluations to reach a diagnosis, while a masters level clinician typically does not have that type of training. READ MORE