Lic. Manuela O’Connell is a clinical psychologist specializing in ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), Mindfulness, Functional Analytical Psychotherapy, and Compassion focused approaches. A peer-reviewed ACT trainer and Fellow of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS), she plays a pivotal role in advancing ACT and supervising practitioners across Latin America's Spanish-speaking communities. Manuela has a flourishing private practice and conducts regular training programs in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she resides.

She is Board President of the Awareness, Courage & Love Global Project, and is also certified as a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher from the University of California Berkeley Greater Good Science Center, under the guidance of Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. Manuela’s extensive meditation practice enriches her therapeutic approach, integrating mindfulness and compassion, particularly interpersonal mindfulness, into her client sessions. She offers mindfulness programs to the public, has taught a Mindfulness and Psychotherapy course based on Contextual Behavioral Science (CBS) for eight years, and is a sought-after speaker at conferences on mindfulness and CBS.

With 30 years of experience in body work and somatic training, including certification as a Eutony teacher, Manuela seamlessly blends somatic experiences with mindfulness, compassion, and ACT through the innovative concept of Embodied Metaphor in her clinical work. Her contributions to the field include co-authoring the ACT for Anger workbook with Dr. Robyn Walser, contributions to The Heart of ACT, and numerous publications on therapeutic relationships and couples' work. She is also the author of Una Vida Valiosa, a book aimed at the general public, published by Random Penguin House, which encapsulates her extensive experience in delivering ACT interventions.

Manuela’s Free Gift To You

Enjoy meditations in Spanish on Manuela’s company's Instagram at @somospresenciaviva.

Follow Manuela on her personal Instagram at @manuoconnell.