Hi, I’m Joe O’Brien.

I’m the founder of Head First. The name came from the idea that meaningful change starts in the mind. Often, we know what we want to do — but getting there means working through the thoughts, habits, and internal barriers that hold us back.

My goal is to bring psychological support into physical health challenges. That’s because for many people, it’s not knowledge or willpower that’s missing - it’s often the psychological side that makes things difficult to change or sustain.

I started Head First to help change how we think about health; to stop separating mental and physical health, and start considering the whole person. In our work together, I aim to help you understand your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, so we can identify what’s getting in the way of your goals and work through it, together. Change is rarely just about knowing what to do so I try and support people in making change feel more possible and sustainable.

Education & Experience

I hold a Doctorate in Health Psychology from Liverpool John Moores University, specialising in the psychology of behaviour change. I’m a Chartered Psychologist, registered with both the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) in the UK.

My research background includes work on emotional and binge eating, and the psychological factors that affect weight loss. I completed over 400 hours of 1:1 client work during my training, and have worked with many more clients since.

If you’d like to work together, feel free to get in touch.