Darlene Dezso, LICSW

Darlene Dezso is a licensed clinical social worker with 35 years of experience who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and relationship difficulties. She focuses on practical steps that can improve day-to-day coping and foster greater self-worth. Her approach centers on listening closely and tailoring the work to each person's situation.

She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people spot and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. She also draws on Client-Centered methods to create a respectful, listening space. Dialectical Behavior Therapy strategies are available for building emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills.

Darlene emphasizes working toward clearer purpose, stronger self-compassion, and improved confidence. She often helps clients dealing with codependency, family of origin issues, isolation and loneliness, and the stress tied to first responder or veteran experiences. She also supports people coping with hospice and end-of-life concerns and recovery from infidelity or discrimination-related stress.

Her style is direct but warm. Sessions are shaped around what the client needs that week, with practical tools and conversational reflection. Darlene aims to help people find manageable steps they can use between sessions to notice progress and handle setbacks.

She practices in Alabama as an AL LICSW. Darlene offers therapy through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and communication preferences.

Therapy approaches that fit online care

CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with practical behavioral experiments. It often helps with anxiety, depression, stress, and patterns that keep people stuck. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes empathic listening and creating a nonjudgmental space where clients can explore goals and values. That approach supports people building self-compassion and clarity about life purpose. Dialectical Behavior Therapy teaches concrete skills for managing intense emotions, improving relationships, and tolerating distress without making things worse.

Finding the best approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their current needs, goals, and preferences. That might mean starting with CBT exercises, adding client-centered reflection, and teaching DBT skills as challenges arise. The plan can shift as progress is made.

Online therapy offers flexible, accessible options like video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction for skill coaching and real-time feedback. Phone sessions can be helpful when internet bandwidth is limited or for a quicker check-in. Live chat and messaging suit people who prefer written reflection or need brief ongoing support between sessions. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives while still working on meaningful change.