Nancy Jarrell O'Donnell

Nancy Jarrell O’Donnell is a licensed psychotherapist and has spent more than twenty-five years treating behavioral and mental health issues. She credits her innate ability to help others to her own journey through recovery and traumatic experiences, including the loss of her beloved daughter Lacey. Nancy is thankful for the many kindnesses shown her along the way, which reflect her personal mantra of “kindness, kindness, kindness.” Both her sense of humor and humility shine through as she acknowledges she’s not always perfect in living this mantra. That said, she’s grateful she’s been able to pursue her life’s mission of supporting others’ mental health and happiness.

Nancy has served in several executive leadership roles in both residential behavioral health facilities and an acute care psychiatric hospital. She founded her own fifty-bed residential behavioral health facility, employing her innovative model of treatment, a new paradigm for treating addiction, trauma, mood disorders, and more. Her treatment model provides interventions to facilitate neuroplasticity, or brain change, and emphasizes compassion, empathy, and kindness for healing. Her versatility and eclectic, integrative approach has been highly successful in helping those suffering with mental health issues.

A sought-after clinician, Nancy has facilitated psychotherapy intensives both nationally and internationally involving three to ten days of daily individualized treatment as an alternative to in-patient care. She has worked with clients from Egypt, the UK, and India, facilitated work in Italy and Sicily, and given presentations on traumatic grief and PTSD nationally and internationally.

As a child, Nancy loved horses, and by nine, she was riding dressage in horse shows around the northeast, where she grew up. When she was eighteen, her adventurous spirit led her on a road trip that ended up in Tucson, Arizona. She fell in love with the magical Sonoran Desert and made this area her home, where she’s remained for forty-plus years. After moving west, Nancy took up western riding and, over the years, has engaged in endurance racing, triathlons, team penning events, cattle roundups, distance trail riding, and a few performance horse shows. Besides riding, she loves to hike and practices yoga.

Certified in equine assisted psychotherapy as well as sex addiction, Nancy is also a clinical trauma professional. She has authored several magazine articles on subjects such as equine therapy, treatment of psychological trauma, and how the brain operates during active addiction. Licensed as a therapist in Arizona, she derives immense pleasure from providing clinical supervision and education for other therapists seeking licensure.

Nancy’s greatest passion is her family. Her son Will and his wife Katie have given her a precious grandson, who enhances her life with his captivating smile. Her husband Jack has provided steadfast support for her as she navigated the excruciating loss of Lacey. Jack’s daughter Laura and her husband Eddie add more joy to Nancy’s life.

Currently, Nancy keeps a small private practice working with individuals and couples and conducts group therapy sessions for a women’s intensive outpatient program. She also consults with treatment centers, writing policies and procedures, job descriptions, and clinical program content, and supports other practitioners seeking to be licensed.

Her mantra remains “Kindness, kindness, kindness!”