Darlene Clark, LCSW

Darlene Clark is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing in Virginia with nine years of experience in the mental health field. She focuses on clear, practical support for stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, parenting concerns, self-esteem, and coping with life changes. Her approach aims to help people feel steadier and more capable in daily life.

She uses tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people spot unhelpful thoughts and change behaviors that keep problems going. She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills for emotional regulation and distress tolerance. Sessions are conversational and down-to-earth, with an emphasis on what will work in real life.

Darlene pays attention to attachment wounds and communication patterns that shape relationships. She helps people untangle isolation and social anxiety by building small, manageable steps toward connection. Parents can get practical strategies for parenting strain and improving family interactions.

Her style is respectful and warm. She aims to make therapy feel approachable rather than intimidating. Clients help set the agenda so sessions stay focused on their goals.

Outside of work she enjoys family time, gardening, camping, beach days, and testing new vegan recipes. These interests inform a relaxed, human approach to sessions and a focus on everyday changes that add up to better coping.

How Darlene combines approaches for online work

CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and try concrete behavior changes to reduce anxiety and improve mood. It is goal-focused and often uses short exercises between sessions to build new patterns.

DBT, or Dialectical Behavior Therapy, emphasizes skills for managing strong emotions, tolerating distress, and improving communication. These skills are useful for people who feel overwhelmed by intense feelings or relationship conflicts.

Darlene treats finding the right approach as a team effort. She will discuss goals and preferences, try methods that fit the person, and adjust plans over time. That collaborative process helps tailor techniques to what feels useful and realistic.

Online sessions are offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs. Video calls work well for conversations that benefit from visual cues. Phone sessions are convenient when bandwidth is limited or when a hands-free option is needed. Live chat and text messaging are useful for brief check-ins, tracking progress, or working through smaller steps between longer appointments. These formats aim to make ongoing care more flexible and easier to fit into a busy life.