As school counselor, college instructor, clinical supervisor, therapist, consultant, course developer, and counselor educator of career
development, Dr. O’Hara has provided support to individuals seeking help with college admission and career guidance for decades. She also
teaches a Mental Health and Wellness course at NYU with vocational perspectives as one of the main topics covered. As someone who began her
freshman year with few resources and many stressors, she knows how overwhelming it can be to research opportunities, make decisions, and take
action. At present it is especially daunting given the uncertain times we are in, with frequent job market shifts for myriad reasons. A news release
from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021) found that people born between 1957 and 1964 held an average of 12 jobs from age 18
to age 54, many being short-duration jobs. There are young adults who experience delayed “launching” and many people struggle with
unemployment or underemployment. Layoffs, down-sizing, and resignations effect many. Those remaining in the workplace are often overloaded,
finding work/life balance difficult to achieve. It used to be that career counseling was distinctly different from mental health counseling. Now they
overlap due to the impact of work-related stress on one’s mental health and dominance that work holds in one’s life. If you or someone you know
may benefit from college or work-related counseling, don’t hesitate to reach out to discuss your concerns with Dr. O’Hara.
Below is a partial list of college/career-related trainings that Dr. O’Hara has participated in:
School Counseling to Close Opportunity Gaps: An Antiracist and Social Justice Framework |
The Role of Race and Implicit Bias in Schools: Addressing the Need for Inequity |
Expanding Perspectives: Systemic Approaches to College Students with Depression |
LGBTQ Youth and Young Adults in School, College, Careers |
Left Out in the Hallway: Equity and Success for LGBTQ and African American College Students |
Physiological and Psychological Functioning of College Students of Alcoholic Parents |
Intergenerational Trauma and College Student Success |
Enhancing Multicultural Empathy in the Classroom and Beyond |
Creating Safer Schools for GLBT Young People |
College-Wide Freshman Seminar Instructor Training |
Third-Annual College Tour - Connecticut Colleges |
Presentation to PTSA on College Admission Testing |
Transition to Post-Secondary Education |
Directing a Dynamic College Counseling Program |
Training for Freshman Seminar Teaching |
The Effective School: Making It Happen |
Dissecting Depression to Increase Academic Success |
College Connections |
Teaching Students to Find Employment - Electronic Job Searches |
Don't Be Afraid…It's Just Financial Aid |
Student Motivation in the 21st Century |
Developing Career Plan for Students via the Internet |
Suicide in Schools: Prevention/Intervention |
Study Skills Advantage Training |
Customized, Computerized College Research |
References:
United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021, August 31). Number of jobs, labor market experience, marital status,
and health: Results from a national longitudinal survey [News Release]. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/nlsoy.pdf.