Licensed Psychologist & Co-Owner
Emily O’Bryan, Ph.d.
Dr. Emily O’Bryan is a licensed psychologist specializing in cognitive-behavioral therapy/exposure and response prevention for OCD and anxiety-related disorders in adults and youth ages 10+, as well as Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD in adults. She is also experienced in treating commonly co-occurring conditions such as depression and skin-picking/hair-pulling. Dr. O’Bryan is SPACE-trained (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) and works with parents to reduce accommodation of child anxiety/OCD. Dr. O’Bryan is licensed in Massachusetts (PSY5000130) and Connecticut (4467), and is a licensed/registered telehealth psychologist in New Hampshire (7136) and Florida (TPPY2828; https://flhealthsource.gov/telehealth/). She received her Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati in 2019 and completed her predoctoral internship (CBT Track) and postdoctoral fellowship at the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Institute of Living in Hartford, CT, a renowned site for the treatment of OCD and anxiety-related disorders. Dr. O’Bryan has been providing CBT since 2014 and has served as a supervisor for clinical psychology doctoral students/interns and psychiatry residents completing CBT rotations. She also previously worked as an Associate Psychologist specializing in OCD, anxiety-related disorders, and PTSD at Brigham & Women’s Hospital/Mass General Brigham. Dr. O’Bryan offers both individual weekly sessions, as well as accelerated/intensive treatment for OCD specifically.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
*=mentored student
29. Goldblum, R. S.,* O’Bryan, E. M., Bimstein, J. G., & McLeish, A. C. (2025). Examining the role of anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty in terms of cannabis use and coping motives for cannabis use in college students with clinically elevated worry. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 213(10), 258-263.
28. Bimstein, J. G.,* O’Bryan, E. M., Jean, A., McLeish, A.C. (2023). Intolerance of uncertainty, negative reinforcement alcohol use motives, and hazardous drinking in college students with clinically elevated worry. Substance Use and Misuse, 58(10), 1254-1261.
27. Tolin, D. F., O’Bryan, E. M., Davies, C. D., Diefenbach, G. D., & Johannesen, J. (2023). Central and peripheral nervous system responses to chronic and paced hyperventilation in anxious and healthy subjects. Biological Psychology, 176, 108472.
26. O’Bryan, E. M., Davis, E., Beadel, J. R., & Tolin, D. F. (2022). Brief adjunctive mindfulness-based cognitive therapy via telehealth for anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 36, 124-135.
25. McLeish, A. C., Johnson, A. L., Luberto, C. M., & O’Bryan, E. M. (2022). Development and initial evaluation of the Discomfort Sensitivity Scale. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 15, 434-451.
24. O’Bryan, E. M., Stevens, K. T., Bimstein, J.*, Jean, A.*, Mammo, L.*, & Tolin, D. F. (2022). Intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety symptoms: Examining the indirect effect through anxiety sensitivity among adults with anxiety-related disorders. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 44, 353–363.
23. O’Bryan, E. M., Kraemer, K. M., & McLeish, A.C. (2021). Invited commentary: Using transdiagnostic mechanistic targets to advance prevention science. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 28(4), 338–340.
22. O’Bryan, E. M., Beadel, J. R., McLeish, A. C., & Teachman, B. A. (2021). Assessment of intolerance of uncertainty: Validation of a modified anagram task. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 73, 101671.
21. O’Bryan, E. M., McLeish, A. C., Norr, A. M., Davies, C. D., Ely, S.*, Bass, Z.*, Capron, D. W., Schmidt, N. B., & Jastrowski Mano, K. E. (2021). A randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of a brief computerized anxiety sensitivity reduction intervention for health anxiety. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 82, 102425.
20. Levy, H. C., O’Bryan, E. M., & Tolin, D. F. (2021). A meta-analysis of relapse rates in cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 102407.
19. Gibler, R. C., Jastrowski Mano, K. E., O’Bryan, E. M., Beadel, J. R., & McLeish, A. C. (2019). The role of pain catastrophizing in cyberchondria among emerging adults. Psychology, Health, & Medicine, 24, 1267-1276.
18. Jastrowski Mano, K. E., O’Bryan, E. M., Gibler, R. C., & Beckmann, E. A. (2019). The co-occurrence of pediatric chronic pain and anxiety: A theoretical review of a developmentally informed shared vulnerability model. The Clinical Journal of Pain, 35, 989-1002.
17. McLaughlin, L. E., Luberto, C. M., O’Bryan, E. M., Kraemer, K. M., & McLeish, A. C. (2019). The indirect effect of positive affect in the relationship between trait mindfulness and emotion dysregulation. Personality and Individual Differences, 145, 70-74.
16. Bruns, K. M.*, O’Bryan, E. M., & McLeish, A. C. (2019). An examination of the association between emotion reactivity and distress tolerance among college students. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 207, 429-432.
15. McLeish, A. C., Kraemer, K. M., & O’Bryan, E. M. (2019). Discomfort intolerance in relation to asthma outcomes. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 43, 24-31.
14. Johnson, A. L., O’Bryan, E. M., Kraemer, K. M., McLeish, A. C., Bernstein, J. A., Zvolensky, M. J. & Horning, D. (2019). The role of anxiety sensitivity-physical concerns in terms of quit day withdrawal symptoms and cravings: A pilot test among smokers with asthma. Journal of Asthma, 56, 173-178.
13. O’Bryan, E. M., Luberto, C. M., Kraemer, K. M., & McLeish, A. C. (2018). An examination of mindfulness skills in terms of affect tolerance among individuals with elevated levels of health anxiety. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 31, 702-713.
12. O’Bryan, E. M. & McLeish, A. C. (2017). An examination of the indirect effect of intolerance of uncertainty on health anxiety through anxiety sensitivity physical concerns. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 39, 715-722.
11. O’Bryan, E. M., McLeish, A. C., & Johnson, A. L. (2017). The role of emotion reactivity in health anxiety. Behavior Modification, 49, 829-845.
10. Kraemer, K. M., O'Bryan, E. M., Johnson, A. L., & McLeish, A. C. (2017). The role of mindfulness skills in terms of anxiety-related cognitive risk factors among college students with problematic alcohol use. Substance Abuse, 38, 337-343.
9. O’Bryan, E. M., Kraemer, K. M., Johnson, A. L., McLeish, A. C. & McLaughlin, L. E. (2017). Examining the role of attentional control in terms of specific emotion regulation difficulties. Personality and Individual Differences, 108, 158-163.
8. McLaughlin, L. E.*, McLeish, A. C., & O’Bryan, E. M. (2016). The role of body vigilance in terms of depression symptomatology. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 9, 217-228.
7. Kraemer, K. M., O’Bryan, E. M., & McLeish, A. C. (2016). An examination of the indirect effect of intolerance of uncertainty in terms of mindfulness and health anxiety. Mindfulness, 7, 859-865.
6. Gilman, R., O’Bryan, E. M., Chard, K. M., & Stewart, M. M. (2016). Current psychosocial treatment options for PTSD among youth. Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry, 3, 182-191.
5. Kraemer, K. M., Luberto, C. M., O’Bryan, E. M., Mysinger, E., & Cotton, S. (2016). Mind-body skills training to improve distress tolerance in medical students: A pilot study. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 28, 219-228.
4. McLeish, A. C., Luberto, C. M., & O’Bryan, E. M. (2016). Anxiety sensitivity and reactivity to asthma-like sensations among young adults with asthma. Behavior Modification, 40, 164-177.
3. Kraemer, K. M., McLeish, A. C., & O’Bryan, E. M. (2015). The role of intolerance of uncertainty in terms of alcohol use motives among college students. Addictive Behaviors, 42, 162-166.
2. O’Bryan, E. M., McLeish, A. C., Kraemer, K. M., & Fleming, J. B. (2015). Emotion regulation difficulties and posttraumatic stress disorder symptom cluster severity among trauma-exposed college students. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 7, 131-137.
1. Luberto, C.M., Cotton, S., McLeish, A. C., Mingione, C. J., & O’Bryan, E. M. (2014). Mindfulness skills and emotion regulation: The mediating role of coping self-efficacy. Mindfulness, 5, 373-380.