Darla Cozzarelli, LCSW

Darla Cozzarelli is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, grief, and depression. She works with individuals coping with trauma, low self-esteem, and challenges related to addiction and isolation. Her style is down-to-earth and straightforward, aimed at making therapy easy to follow for busy caregivers and worried parents.

Darla brings three years of clinical experience rooted in community mental health in California. She supported people facing homelessness, co-occurring substance use and mood concerns, and those healing from sexual assault and other trauma. That background shaped how she approaches crisis moments and longer-term recovery.

Her work blends practical problem-solving with a strong focus on each person’s story. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. She pairs that with client-centered listening to keep sessions focused on each person’s priorities.

Darla also uses motivational interviewing to help people find their own reasons for change and keep momentum during hard transitions. She emphasizes small, doable steps and clear plans that fit daily life. Clients can expect honest feedback, collaborative goal-setting, and concrete homework between sessions.

She identifies as someone with lived experience related to adoption and personal mental health challenges, and she draws on that perspective with empathy and realism. Darla aims to create a respectful space where people feel heard and can build practical skills to move forward.

How Darla’s Approaches Work Online

CBT helps people spot and change thoughts and behaviors that worsen anxiety or depression. In online sessions this looks like identifying a troubling thought, testing it, and practicing new responses between meetings.

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and on what matters most to the person. The therapist reflects, asks questions, and follows the client’s lead so goals come from the client’s values and priorities.

Motivational interviewing is a collaborative way to build motivation for change. It helps people clarify why change matters and plan small, manageable steps they can actually try between sessions.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. The therapist will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences, and then shape a plan together. That means trying strategies, checking how they feel, and adjusting the focus as progress happens.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and shared worksheets. Phone sessions are useful when bandwidth is limited or for shorter check-ins. Live chat and text messaging support quick check-ins, brief coaching, and ongoing encouragement between scheduled sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, school, or family routines.