Olivia Geary

I attribute my success to an unwavering commitment to helping others navigate life’s most difficult transitions, a deep-rooted passion for understanding the human experience, and a personal history of resilience. My foundational work ethic was forged early on while balancing graduate studies with intense clinical experience in psychiatric hospital settings, which taught me the nuances of complex diagnostic and treatment processes. Furthermore, my career is profoundly inspired by the legacy of my grandmother, who ran a grief center in the 1970s, driving my passion to specialize in grief counseling, trauma, and anxiety. Ultimately, my ability to connect with clients stems from my own lived experiences—both in navigating ADHD symptoms and managing Type 1 diabetes since childhood—which allows me to bridge physical and mental well-being while approaching every individual with genuine empathy, authenticity, and insight.

The best career advice I have ever integrated into my life has come from a diverse circle of mentors who taught me to fiercely prioritize authenticity, resilience, and creative expression over conventional expectations. My former stepmother, a freelance writer, showed me how deeply creativity is tied to emotional processing and grief work, while my father challenged me to critically weigh stability against professional fulfillment, ultimately helping me clarify my values and confidently choose an authentic private practice path. Additionally, my high school yearbook teacher and cheerleading coaches instilled in me the importance of giving a voice to the overlooked and stepping boldly into leadership roles. Finally, my grandmother’s example taught me that a fulfilling life requires pursuing whatever path feels true to who you are, a guiding philosophy that continues to shape my therapeutic identity.

My primary advice to young women entering this industry is to immerse yourself in the most challenging and intense professional environments as early and as young as you can. It was through my demanding early roles in psychiatric and community settings—even when dealing with high-acuity populations like sex offenders—that I truly learned to find my voice and build the thick skin necessary for this work. You must be prepared to advocate fiercely for your clients and patients, even when it leads to professional tension or moments where you feel unheard. Embracing these physically and mentally taxing roles early on builds the indispensable clinical foundation and personal resilience required to successfully navigate your career and practice on your own terms later in life.

The biggest challenges in my field involve navigating high-stress, high-acuity psychiatric environments without losing your professional identity, overcoming career uncertainty during transitions, and learning how to advocate for client-centered care in rigid institutional systems where your voice isn't always heard. Moving into private practice also introduces the hurdle of adjusting to autonomy and redefining yourself outside of large systems. However, these challenges double as incredible opportunities to build deep clinical resilience, cultivate a highly individualized therapeutic philosophy, and establish spaces that prioritize emotional safety. Furthermore, managing my own lifelong journey with Type 1 diabetes has transformed a personal health challenge into a profound opportunity to bridge physical and mental health care, allowing me to bring my full, authentic self into my clinical work to better support my clients.

The values that are most critical to both my personal life and professional practice are absolute honesty with myself, transparent communication, and a willingness to be vulnerable. I believe that effective counseling requires more than clinical expertise; it demands a genuine human connection built on mutual trust. By appropriately opening up to my clients about my own human struggles and imperfections, I create an authentic space that encourages them to be equally open and honest in return. This commitment to vulnerability and real communication forms the bedrock of a true therapeutic connection, allowing me to meet individuals exactly where they are in their healing journeys.