Dara Charlton, LCSW

Dara Charlton is an LCSW who uses a client-centered stance to help people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and relationship challenges. She brings 20 years of experience and focuses on practical steps people can use day to day. Her work often addresses intimate life issues, caregiving strain, and the effects of trauma and loss.

She blends talk therapy with tools from cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness to help people notice unhelpful patterns and try small changes. Dialectical behavior therapy skills show up when someone needs clearer emotion regulation and coping strategies. Emotionally-focused ideas guide conversations about attachment and close relationships.

Dara has worked with people dealing with chronic illness, caregiver stress, aging and geriatric issues, and the life disruptions that follow serious health concerns. She also supports those facing body image, sexual identity, or kink-related questions, and people managing addiction, sleep problems, or anger.

Sessions focus on understanding what matters to the individual and building skills that fit real life. She helps people improve communication, set boundaries, and rebuild day-to-day routines that support mood and functioning.

Her approach is collaborative and practical. People who want to change patterns will find concrete tools alongside reflective conversation. Those seeking help with transitions, losses, or long-term health and caregiving stress will find experience and steady support.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Client-centered therapy means the conversation follows what matters most to the person, with the therapist reflecting back concerns and priorities to shape each session. This approach helps when someone needs space to sort through feelings and make clear choices about next steps.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors. It often includes simple, homework-style tasks between sessions to build new habits that reduce anxiety and depression.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) contributes practical emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills. These tools can be useful for people who want clearer ways to manage strong emotions or reduce reactive behaviors.

Finding the right approach is collaborative. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, try methods that fit those goals, and adjust the plan over time based on what helps. Clients are invited to share preferences and feedback to shape treatment.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life by removing travel time, offering shorter check-ins when needed, and allowing people to practice skills in their everyday routines. Licensed professionals can use these features to help clients build consistent habits and maintain progress between meetings.