You don't have to make sense of this alone.
Dr. Darlene Starrett, PhD, LCSW, helps women, teens, and children untangle the weight of trauma and difficult relationships — at a pace you control, with a doctoral-level clinician trained specifically in trauma and crisis work.
Currently accepting new clients · In-person in Trinity & New Port Richey, or by telehealth anywhere in Florida
Old patterns that no longer work. A weight that's hard to name.
"I'm stuck in patterns I know aren't serving me anymore, and I don't know how to change them."
"Trust has been broken before. Starting therapy feels vulnerable — and I need to move at my own pace."
"I'm carrying the past and the demands of the present, and I need somewhere I can set some of that weight down."
If any of that sounds familiar, you're not alone — and what you're feeling makes sense given what you've been through. Trauma responses often don't make sense from the outside. Together, we can start to make sense of them.
A doctoral-level trauma clinician who is genuinely curious about your story.
Dr. Darlene Starrett holds a PhD in Counseling and Psychological Studies with a focus on trauma and crisis work — training well beyond the master's-level licensure common among local therapists. She creates a space where clients can speak openly about what's happened, what's changed, and what they hope for next.
Her approach is grounded in compassion, safety, and empowerment. With children, she incorporates play-based methods that allow natural, safe expression. With adults, she draws on trauma-focused, solution-focused, and evidence-based approaches to help you challenge old patterns and build steadier ways of coping.
- PhD, Counseling & Psychological Studies — Regent University
- Certification in Traumatic Stress Studies — Trauma Research Foundation
- MSW — Southeastern University
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker, State of Florida (SW25075)
Getting started, in three honest steps
A free 15-minute conversation
No forms, no commitment — just a chance to ask questions and see if this feels like the right fit.
We build a safe pace together
Your first sessions focus on understanding your story and establishing safety and trust — never rushed.
Steadier footing, on your terms
Not "fixed," but more grounded — less reactive to the past, more connected to who you are now.
A calm, welcoming place to land — in person or on screen
"Darlene brings a rare combination of clinical depth and genuine warmth to her work with trauma survivors."
— Beth Townsend, LMHC