A guide who is genuinely curious about your story.
Dr. Darlene Starrett, PhD, LCSW — trauma counselor, and one of the most highly credentialed clinicians serving Trinity, New Port Richey, and the greater Tampa Bay area.
Darlene is genuinely curious about people and their stories. She creates a space where clients can speak openly about challenges, motivations, and hopes for change — without judgment, and without being rushed.
If you feel stuck in patterns that no longer work, overwhelmed by past experiences, or unsure how to move forward, you're not alone. Many people carry the weight of trauma and painful relationships longer than they realize. Darlene holds a PhD in Counseling and Psychological Studies with a focus on trauma and crisis work, and is passionate about supporting those impacted by domestic violence, intimate partner violence (often shortened to IPV), selective mutism, and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
Her goal is simple to state and hard-won to deliver: a safe, compassionate space where you can feel understood, build steadier coping, and begin healing in ways that help you reconnect with yourself.
Understanding both past and present, without judgment
Darlene believes that understanding both past and present experiences can be a meaningful part of healing. She views therapy as a safe and supportive relationship where clients can explore patterns that may no longer serve them, while building practical tools for growth and change.
She works with children, teens, and women, including those impacted by violence and complex trauma. Her experience includes supporting children and teens through bereavement and loss, and working with teen survivors of exploitation and sex trafficking — always with the same grounding in compassion, safety, and empowerment. Her approach often uses solution-focused strategies to help clients challenge old patterns and build healthier ways of coping. With children, she incorporates play-based methods that allow natural and safe expression.
Starting therapy can feel vulnerable, especially if trust has been hurt before. Sessions move at your pace — a place to feel understood, and to begin creating the kind of healing and relief you've been hoping for.
Trained at the doctoral level, with specialized certification in trauma
- PhD, Counseling & Psychological Studies (trauma & crisis focus) — Regent University
- Certification in Traumatic Stress Studies — Trauma Research Foundation
- MSW — Southeastern University
- Bachelor's degree in Counseling Psychology
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker, State of Florida — License SW25075
- Verified provider, Psychology Today
Individual therapy across the lifespan
- Children (6–10), preteens, and teens — including bereavement and loss support
- Teen survivors of exploitation and sex trafficking
- Adults, including single parents navigating trauma alongside the demands of raising a family alone
- Elders (65+)
- Women impacted by domestic violence and intimate partner violence
Modalities & treatment approaches
Darlene draws on a range of trauma-focused and evidence-based approaches, tailored to what each client actually needs — never a one-size-fits-all protocol.
Christian counseling is available for those who want it — never assumed, never required.
For clients who wish to integrate their faith into their healing, Darlene offers Christian counseling as one option among many evidence-based approaches. Clients seeking entirely secular care are just as welcome, and the relationship is always shaped around what you need — not a single worldview.
A quiet corner of the office, in Trinity
Ready to talk it through?
A free 15-minute consultation is the easiest way to see if this feels like the right fit — no pressure, no commitment.
Schedule Your Free Consultation