01 · Who Darlene works with

Darlene works with stress, Anxiety, trauma and abuse and parenting issues

Darlene lists 5 specialisms and 5 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Darlene chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Darlene's own words

What Darlene says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Hi, I’m Darlene Clark, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Virginia with 9+ years of experience in the mental health field. I am a Certified Trauma- Informed Care Practitioner, and I specialize in trauma, anxiety, parenting challenges, and have extensive experience supporting individuals living with serious mental illness. My passion is helping people navigate life transitions while building self-esteem, confidence, and resilience. I believe therapy works best when grounded in respect, compassion, and openness. I strive to create a safe, non-judgmental space where you feel comfortable sharing your thoughts and feelings. Starting therapy takes courage, and I want to acknowledge the bravery it takes to take this first step. Many clients are surprised to find therapy feels easier and more approachable than they expected, especially with my casual, down-to-earth style. You’re always in the driver’s seat when it comes to what we focus on in sessions. When I’m not working, I love spending time with my family, relaxing at the beach, gardening, camping, and experimenting with new vegan recipes in the kitchen.

Darlene Clark, on the BetterHelp listing · read 8 Nov 2026

03 · How Darlene works

The 5 approaches Darlene lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Darlene lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Darlene's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Darlene runs a session.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Dialectical Behaviour TherapyDBT

A structured skills-led adaptation of CBT built around holding two things at once: accepting yourself as you are and working to change. Teaches concrete skills for distress tolerance, emotion regulation and relationships. Developed for people whose feelings arrive at overwhelming intensity, and strongest-evidenced there.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Works on the assumption that current patterns - in relationships, at work, in how you treat yourself - have a history, and that seeing the history loosens the pattern. Less structured than CBT, usually longer, and more interested in what comes up unbidden than in a weekly agenda.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Darlene practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Darlene's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Darlene at this point.

2. Naming Darlene specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Darlene is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Darlene.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

3 questions worth asking Darlene

Built from what Darlene actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Darlene's - Darlene has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Psychodynamic Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCSW

Licensed in

Virginia

Licence

VA LCSW 0904018466

Licence number

0904018466

Licence expires

30 Jun 2027

NPI

1588559140

Years in practice

9

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

11 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Darlene's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 8 Nov 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Darlene. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.