Inspiring Conversations with Joelle Molloy of Joelle Molloy Psychotherapy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joelle Molloy.

Hi Joelle, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I originally trained as a lawyer. It was an incredible introduction to the world of conflict and negotiation. But over time I became more interested in the emotional origin of conflicts. I think I was always more of a mediator at heart. Finally, I found my way to psychotherapy. This turned out to be a much better fit for my non-linear way of thinking. And I’m drawn to the raw immediacy of the work. And to being in real relationship with people every day. It feels like art to me. I also love the freedom of working for myself. Having been influenced by my entrepreneurial parents from an early age, I chose to open my private practice just a couple of months ago. I work with California-based clients, in-person and virtually, offering both focused short-term therapy and longer, more exploratory work.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve been deeply fortunate on this path to have been held and shaped by some of the kindest and most remarkable clinicians in Los Angeles. My own therapy has been foundational, as was my training at Valley Community Counseling Clinic, and later at Bonnie Rae Psychotherapy. I continue to be surrounded by an extraordinary community of therapists, including my wife, Sophie Shekarchian, who is also a psychotherapist.

As far as challenges go, I am acutely aware of the present day challenges common to the majority of us like rising living costs, climate catastrophes, and anti-immigrant sentiment. It’s a really troubling time. But I hold hope that psychological work continues to deepen and spread, helping people find steadiness, connection, and meaning amid profound uncertainty. On that note, I want to give another shoutout to my beloved Valley Community Counseling Clinic, a true sanctuary where individuals and couples can find high-quality psychoanalytic psychotherapy at affordable rates.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Joelle Molloy Psychotherapy?
About My Practice:
I offer relational psychoanalytic psychotherapy for individuals and couples. My main demographics are queer, creative, highly sensitive and neurodivergent people seeking to understand themselves, their bodies, and each other more deeply.

What Sets Me Apart:
I was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and bring a cross-cultural lens to my work.

What I’m Most Proud Of:
I don’t share much about my personal life in therapy, but it matters to me that clients know there is a real person in the room with them. In a world shaped increasingly by impersonal systems and artificial intelligence, warmth, presence, and human contact are central to how I work.

What I Want Readers to Know:
My practice is for individuals and couples who want help locating their internal compass through a meaningful therapeutic relationship.

How do you define success?
When you find a vocation that makes you never want to retire.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.joellemolloytherapy.com/