01 · Who John works with

John works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and grief

John lists 11 specialisms and 2 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects John chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In John's own words

What John says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

For 25 years I have had the privilege to help people navigate difficult passages in their lives, in a variety of settings. Give yourself credit for reaching out, because a good therapist during these times can make a huge positive difference. In retrospect you may see that ill fortune, suffering and emotional pain helped you grow, and that without these challenges you may not have learned what you needed to progress. As Eckhart Tolle has said, suffering can be your greatest teacher. I did not become a therapist until midlife, and have had my own share of major life changes, transformations, suffering, and loss. These experiences have deepened my empathy and compassion, which I hope to bring to you.

I have learned that creating trust in the therapeutic relationship is a vital part of the process, and like all therapists I am sworn to hold you with unconditional, non-judgmental positive regard. I have earned two Masters Degrees (in Psychology and Counseling Psychology), and hold two licenses – Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Whether you are seeking longer term therapy to illuminate hidden patterns, or solution focused brief therapy for a specific problem, we will tailor our work accordingly to your goals and wishes. I am committed to helping you discover your ability to heal and grow, to listen to your inner wisdom, and find peace, self-acceptance, and self-confidence instead of fear.

I have expertise with relationship struggles of all kinds, including dating, and alternate lifestyles. Addiction is a special interest, having developed a comprehensive alternative addiction treatment program in India suitable for any addiction – alcohol, drugs, food, gambling, sex, polysubstance cocktails, internet addictions, and others. I am open minded and abide by the principles of Harm Reduction. As an EAP counselor, I enjoy helping people with workplace and career issues. Other areas of expertise include grief and loss, blended family issues, stress, coping with the narcissists in your life, mild depression, anxiety, social anxiety, procrastination, guilt, anger, self blame, PTSD, family conflict, highly sensitive people, spirituality (mindfulness) and existential issues.

I wish you all the best in your journey, and should you choose me, I look forward to working with you.

John ODonoghue, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How John works

The 6 approaches John lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods John lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not John's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how John runs a session.

Acceptance and Commitment TherapyACT

Rather than trying to argue a painful thought away, ACT works on loosening its grip and getting on with what matters to you anyway. Sessions spend real time naming your values, then building action around them while difficult feelings are still present.

Attachment-Based Therapy

Reads present-day relationship difficulty through the lens of how safety and closeness were learned early on. The therapeutic relationship itself is treated as part of the work, because it is where the pattern tends to show up first.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and ReprocessingEMDR

A structured trauma protocol in which you hold a distressing memory in mind while following a repeated side-to-side cue. The mechanism is still debated; the outcome data in post-traumatic stress is strong enough that it appears in national treatment guidelines.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Works on the assumption that current patterns - in relationships, at work, in how you treat yourself - have a history, and that seeing the history loosens the pattern. Less structured than CBT, usually longer, and more interested in what comes up unbidden than in a weekly agenda.

Also listed

• Existential Therapy
• Imago Relationship Therapy
• Jungian Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

John practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of John's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking John at this point.

2. Naming John specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for John is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to John.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking John

Built from what John actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not John's - John has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing and Attachment-Based Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 27 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LMFT

Licensed in

North Carolina

Licence

CA LMFT 40935, NC LMFT 1114

Licence number

1114

Licence expires

1 Jul 2027

NPI

1629099189

Years in practice

27

Gender

Male

Languages

English

International clients

Accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

John's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met John. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.