- Stress and anxiety
- Family of origin issues
- Gender affirming support
About Darlene
Darlene Tando is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in California with 25 years of clinical experience. She focuses on stress, anxiety, LGBT concerns, family issues, parenting challenges, and depression. Darlene also addresses body image, caregiver stress, family of origin issues, and related concerns such as guilt and shame.
Her style is direct and personable. She uses honest conversation and sometimes humor to break tension. Sessions aim to identify the patterns that keep someone stuck and to try practical strategies to change them.
Darlene works with people across different stages of gender identity and with those navigating relationships and family roles. She has long experience supporting transgender and gender nonconforming people and their parents, including speaking and writing for professional and parent audiences.
In sessions she helps clients notice recurring family roles and expectations. That can mean looking at how childhood patterns affect current relationships, parenting choices, or self-image. The emphasis is on concrete steps - small behavior changes, clearer boundaries, and practical coping skills.
Her approach blends direct conversation, skill building, and real-world problem solving. She encourages clients to test new ways of relating and to notice what changes. People who bring family of origin concerns often work on communication, forgiveness, and repairing how they understand past roles.
Approaches used in remote sessions
Darlene works with evidence-based therapeutic techniques focused on practical change. One common approach is skills-based work that teaches coping strategies for anxiety and mood disruptions, such as breathing techniques, activity scheduling, and simple behavioral experiments to test new ways of responding. These tools help reduce overwhelming moments and build steadier routines.Another approach emphasizes exploring family of origin patterns. That involves identifying repeated roles and expectations picked up in childhood and seeing how they affect current relationships and parenting. The work is conversational and aimed at actionable steps, like setting clearer boundaries or changing repetitive responses.
Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work collaboratively with the client to choose methods that match current needs, goals, and preferences. That may mean mixing skill work with practical problem solving and reflection on family patterns.
The biography does not list which session formats are offered here, so confirm the available session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce commute time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Licensed professionals often use this flexibility to help clients maintain progress between appointments.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
25+ years
Listed in
Virginia, California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she work with?
Darlene focuses on stress, anxiety, LGBT concerns, family and parenting problems, and depression. She also helps with body image, caregiver stress, family of origin issues, and related areas.
How would you describe her therapeutic approach?
Her style involves straightforward conversation and practical strategies. She uses humor at times and aims to help clients notice and change recurring patterns.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 25 years of experience working in clinical practice.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an LCSW licensed in California and practices from California.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or accept international clients?
Sessions are offered in English. She does not accept international clients.
Which session formats are available?
The original biography does not list specific session formats for this profile. Confirm current session options before booking.
How are session costs handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What steps are needed to begin working together?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Looking for someone else? Find them by surname.