While qualified to treat all types of psychological distress, my particular affinity and expertise lies in serious and persistent mental illness. I want to work with people living with schizophrenia, bipolar or other conditions that may include psychosis. As well, I like to work with family members, whose suffering may be undervalued.
My professional association with Dr. Adam Sheck, owner of our Center, began during my predoctoral internship at a Los Angeles community mental health clinic, where he serves as the Director of Training. As our supervising psychologist, Dr. Sheck will be an active participant in your treatment team at LACC. I am currently registered under Dr. Sheck as a Psychological Assistant, Registration Number PSB 35441.
Following a lifelong fascination with the human condition and serious mental illness, I returned to academia at the dawn of the new millennium as a (very) mature student. I want to help provide a voice for people living with chronic mental illnesses who, all too often, are unable to speak for themselves. After graduating from Occidental College in 2005, I was accepted to the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Alliant International University, where I was awarded a Ph.D. from The California School of Professional Psychology in 2010.
My philosophy of treatment informed my doctoral research, which was concerned with subjective quality of life for people living with schizophrenia. Subjective quality of life is about one’s own opinion of how satisfied they are with their lives. Objective quality of life, the most widely used measure, is not based on how people feel. While objective measures are useful, I believe that personal feelings about quality of life are the most important outcome of therapy. I maintain a website and blog to promote better understanding of serious and persistent mental conditions and their treatment.
To schedule an appointment, please call me at (310) 770-7054.
Patricia O’Neill, Ph.D.
Email: drpatriciaoneill@gmail.com