Dr. Sydney Conroy

Dr. Sydney Conroy smiles to the camera with a sky and sea in the far background. She is on a rooftop with a smoke stack to her left and a slanted roof to the right. She is in a black dress with pink lipstick, her long brown hair down.

Sydney Conroy, PhD, LMHC is a therapist, writer, researcher, educator, and creator whose work spans fields and sectors on mental health literacy, sustainable productivity, play advocacy, and trauma-informed education.

Dr. Conroy earned her Bachelor’s in Science in Psychology with a minor in Peace & Justice Studies from Michigan State University, supported by the Kalamazoo Promise scholarship. She studied abroad at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy - her first taste of living and learning abroad.

Later, she completed a Master’s degree in existential-phenomenological psychology from Seattle University. A part-time job she held as a therapist-in-training introduced her to the therapeutic power of play, which rechartered her life path. The first step in this new path was to complete a play therapy certification at Antioch University Seattle.

Sydney became an international student one last time with her formal education ending with a PhD from the University of Cambridge with the Center for Research on Play, Education, Development, and Learning (PEDAL). Dr. Conroy’s research focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of children as well as therapists, and collective trauma recovery.

Sydney Conroy, PhD, LMHC wears many hats as the owner & therapist at The Orchard Psychotherapy, edupreneur supporting students mental health & success with academic tools such as The Soft Academia Planner, writer, speaker, and consultant.

Sydney Conroy is standing up, smiling to camera with red lipstick, her dark brown hair is midlength and down. She is wearing a black dress with a silver necklace. She stands in the courtyard of Christs College at the University of Cambridge

Now that all that official business is out of the way, here’s what I’d like to tell you about myself:

I’ve been deeply impacted by the places I’ve been lucky enough to become a local of, and sometimes I wear the coordinates on pieces of jewelry as a physical representation of carrying them with me.

One of my favorite ways to play these days is in the kitchen - flavors, presentations, experimentation. I’ve dreamt almost as much about creating a kitchen I love than my writing desk space.

I have moved old high school notes, wine labels from celebrations and also breakdowns, bundles of letters and cards, coffee shop stickers from the day we poured our dreams out to each other, all across the Atlantic Ocean and back; I love being sentimental and archival.

Clue is my favorite board game of all time, with Connect4 and Jenga titled for as my favorite table top games.

I decided to change my favorite flower when I turned thirty because new decade, new flower? It was a sunflower and now it’s a peony.

My road to being a creative who gives creativity an intentional and consistent outlet was hard won.

The Series of Unfortunate Events is my childhood series favorite and the Beartown series is my adult favorite. Fiction builds empathy.

My relationship to my body and movement was irrevolably changed when I tore both my ACLs (separately, years apart) playing football/soccer.

I say “I need coffee in an IV” like a Gilmore at least once a week, but maybe also once a day.

  • Hang tight please

  • Hang tight please

  • Hang tight please

Let's stay connected!

Let's stay connected!