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DK Portrait of Darlene Kelly
Online therapist

Darlene Kelly

Compassionate practical therapy for life changes

Credentials
LCSW
Experience
24 years
Licensed in
Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Darlene

Darlene Kelly is a licensed clinical social worker with 24 years of experience. She offers steady, practical support for people facing relationship stress, anxiety, grief, addiction, and life transitions. She speaks plainly and listens without judgment so clients can say what matters to them.

Darlene’s style aims to help people find clear next steps rather than erase the past. Darlene focuses on helping adults with concerns like intimacy-related issues, depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and compassion fatigue.

Background and approach

She also addresses challenges tied to career, self-esteem, eating and sleeping difficulties, and substance use. Her approach combines skill-based strategies and emotional work to address both symptoms and underlying patterns. In sessions she uses methods from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy to teach coping skills and change unhelpful thinking.

Attachment-based and client-centered approaches guide how she builds trust and explores relationship patterns. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps when someone needs to clarify values and commit to small, doable changes. Her work is practical and collaborative.

She helps clients name a few realistic goals and practices to try between sessions. Darlene supports people through setbacks and helps them adjust plans as needed. She works from Louisiana and offers services to English-speaking clients, including those living outside the U.S.

She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people clarify what matters to them and take small actions that match those values. It is useful for stress, anxiety, and making changes when life feels stuck. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors through practical exercises and homework. It is often used for anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and coping skills. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationship patterns affect current connections and helps people change how they relate to others and to themselves.

Darlene approaches choosing a method as a collaborative process. She will talk with clients about goals, try different techniques, and adjust the plan based on what helps most. The focus is on finding a fit that feels comfortable and produces steady, manageable progress.

Online therapy offers flexibility for people with busy schedules or who live far from Louisiana. Video calls allow face-to-face conversations, while phone sessions, live chat, and text messaging make it possible to connect in shorter or more frequent ways. Those options can make it easier to practice new skills between sessions and to get support when life becomes difficult.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Less about arguing with difficult thoughts, more about loosening their grip and acting on what matters to you anyway. Values and committed action carry the work, which suits conversation at a distance.

Attachment-Based Therapy

Looks at how early bonds shaped what you expect from closeness, and how that plays out now with a partner, a parent, or your own children.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Darlene address?
She works with a wide range of issues including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, addictions, grief, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy-related issues, stress, parenting questions, and career concerns.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is practical and nonjudgmental. She listens openly, teaches coping skills, and helps clients set small, usable goals between sessions.
How much experience does she have?
Darlene has 24 years of clinical experience working with adults across many life stages and challenges.
What credentials and location apply to her practice?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - LCSW, licensed in Texas as TX LCSW 57472 and in Mississippi as MS LCSW C10272, and practices from Louisiana.
Which languages and international clients are supported?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
Clients can choose video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on their needs and preferences.
How are sessions billed?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule based on therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Experience
24 years
Licensed
Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi
Languages
English

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