Somatic therapy for thoughtful people
When you’ve spent a long time holding it all together and are ready to live more fully.
Therapist Sean O’Toole
In-person sessions in Manhattan
Virtual therapy across New York and New Jersey
Clients come to me when they’re doing everything they’re supposed to do but still don’t feel like themselves.
They’re tired of:
Overthinking
Perfectionism and people-pleasing
Feeling constantly “on”
Pushing through exhaustion
Feeling disconnected from themselves or their bodies
Reacting in ways they don’t fully understand
Clients meet with me when they’re ready to recalibrate and make room for a life that feels more fully their own— without losing their edge.
They realize that the ways they’ve learned to live are no longer working for them. They may know they want something different but feel unsure what that looks like or how to begin. They’re ready to understand themselves more deeply and explore what comes next.
Whether you’re navigating anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, trauma, or a life change that caught you off guard, therapy can offer a gentle, grounded place to land and begin again.
“The real voyage of discovery consists
not in seeking new landscapes,
but in having new eyes.”
— Marcel Proust
How I can help
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Many of my clients know how to succeed professionally but find themselves caught in patterns of perfectionism, people-pleasing, overwork, or constant striving. Together, we can understand what these patterns have helped you accomplish and begin moving toward a life that feels more balanced, authentic, and alive.
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Major life changes can raise questions that go beyond the practical decisions in front of you. Whether you’re navigating career transitions, divorce or relationship changes, loss, questions of identity and purpose, or uncertainty about what comes next, therapy can offer space to make sense of what’s changing and explore what you want the next chapter to look like.
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Trauma isn’t only something we remember. It can also be something the body continues to carry. Even when we understand intellectually that we’re safe, the nervous system may remain on alert, showing up as tension, numbness, anxiety, exhaustion, or a sense of disconnection from ourselves or those we love. Gentle, invitational somatic work can help us notice these patterns with curiosity and develop greater capacity to stay present, making room for more safety, connection, and new ways of responding in both body and mind.
Sean O’Toole, LMSW
Hi, I’m Sean. This is me with my Boston terrier at a surprise birthday party. Life can be surprising.
I’m a longtime literature professor turned psychotherapist who has come to see these two parts of my work as deeply connected. Both have taught me to listen closely to the stories people tell to make sense of their lives and the world around them—and to stay curious about what those stories may reveal.
I work with people navigating anxiety, people-pleasing, burnout, trauma, and the pressures of high-demand work environments, including academia. My approach is primarily psychodynamic and somatic, with attention to both the patterns that have shaped your life and how stress and emotion show up in the body.
I bring these perspectives together in a way that is responsive to you. There is no single formula for therapy, and you don’t need to arrive with the right words or answers. Our work will develop collaboratively, with attention to what you need and what you’re ready to explore.
Therapy with me is …
Listening for what your body knows
No performing or right answers
Looking beneath the strategies that helped you survive or succeed
Gentle, honest, and willing to challenge
Slowing down when you’re used to pushing through
Making room for humor and complexity
Welcoming all of you
Starting therapy together
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01.
I offer every new client a free 15-minute consultation so you can ask questions, share what you’re looking for, and see if we might be a good fit.
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02.
If it’s a good fit, we’ll have our first sessions. We’ll take time to understand what brings you to therapy, explore the patterns shaping your experience, and develop a shared sense of what you’d like from our work.
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03.
From there, we’ll continue exploring what matters most to you, making sense of what’s happening, and working toward the changes you want to make in your life, at a pace that feels right for you.
Take the first step
Starting or restarting therapy can feel like a big decision, especially if you're used to figuring things out on your own.
I invite you to reach out. I'd be happy to answer your questions and explore what working together could look like.