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Psychotherapy Services - In Person & Telehealth/Virtual
⭐ Taking New Clients November 2025 ⭐
I am a clinical and community psychologist licensed in Washington State and an experienced clinician with nearly 20 years of experience across many different settings: university-based psychology clinic, women’s maximum-security prison, Veterans Affairs, public hospital, community mental health center, and HIV clinic. I provide individual therapy for adults, with expertise in trauma recovery from psychological, emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, interpersonal violence, sexual assault and rape, war trauma, or accidents and injury. Psychological conditions I commonly treat Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD Generalized anxiety Depression Complicated grief Alcohol or substance use problems I also provide therapy to help with: Codependency, healthy relationships, and interpersonal boundaries Navigating life transitions or making changes in life direction Work-related stress and burnout Grief and loss Managing emotions Live in alignment with core values—cultivating a greater sense of purpose, meaning, and direction
What Therapy Can Do For You
Therapy offers a space that is just for you—a place to feel heard, understood, and supported as you work through challenges, make meaningful changes, and reconnect with what matters most to you. Clarify and achieve your values and life goals - Reconnect with what matters most to you and take steps toward living a more intentional, meaningful life Relieve emotional distress and overwhelm - Learn how to work with your emotions, be less reactive and more responsive to life situations, and increase positive and reduce negative emotions Enjoy your relationships more - Learn to communicate more effectively, set boundaries, and navigate conflict with more confidence Break free from unhelpful patterns that keep you stuck - Learn how to interrupt cycles of behavior or thinking that drive you toward unhealthy behaviors or away from your goals Heal from past painful or traumatic experiences - Support your mind and body in making the shift from surviving to thriving and make meaning of your experiences that supports your growth Cope with the life transitions - Get support through times of change, loss, uncertainty
How I Work
The relationship between the therapist and client is the foundation for healing and change. I aim to create a collaborative, nonjudgmental, and trusting space where we will come to a shared vision of the goals for therapy, how best to meet them, and re-evaluate as we go. I draw on a biopsychosocial model to help you better understand yourself and your experiences. Meaning, I consider how biological, psychological (thoughts, emotions, behaviors), relational, social and cultural factors contribute to your current experiences and concerns and consider these factors in my recommendations for how best to meet the goals of therapy. I use insights from psychological and psychotherapeutic research and practice to guide the change process. My work is primarily cognitive-behavioral and emphasizes using the connection between our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to make the changes we want to see in our lives and life experience. I also use Motivational Interviewing, a person-centered counseling style to help people clarify their values and resolve ambivalence about making changes aligned with their values. I also draw from the skills taught in Dialectical Behavior Therapy to regulate emotions, reduce suffering, and increase effectiveness and use insights from Internal Family Systems and attachment theory to understand and explore parts of clients that they may be unaware of but may lead to feeling stuck in unhelpful patterns and cycles in their lives. For those who are interested, I find dream interpretation to be a useful tool to get to know some of these parts and to receive wisdom, insight and guidance for healing and wellness.
Honoring the Whole Person: Mind, Body, and Spirit
There is another layer to the biopsychosocial model – that of the spiritual – which is increasing recognized in the field of psychology, although it has always played a critical role in healing and wellness. For those clients who are interested, I also find great value in exploring this aspect of the human experience – that is, of the human being. We may call it consciousness itself, awareness, or presence. Or we may call it capital S “Self” or soul. Exploring and connecting with this spiritual dimension can help reduce suffering, open space for joy and peace, and invite more meaning, flow, authenticity, and creativity into our lives. I bring openness, respect, and curiosity to these conversations—whether you come with a specific spiritual practice, a search for meaning, or simply a desire to feel more connected to yourself and the world.
What I Don't Offer
Therapy is most effective when the fit is right. I want you to get the care that truly serves you, whether that’s with me—or with someone else who is better positioned to help. I may not be the right therapist for you if: You are experiencing a psychiatric crisis or need intensive, crisis-oriented care. You want or will need a therapist who can be available immediately for urgent, after-hours, or crisis mental health needs You are mandated to therapy or coming solely to meet external or legal requirements. You are seeking services for children, adolescents, or couples (I work with individual adults only). You are seeking comprehensive psychological testing and assessment. You are seeking services for autism spectrum disorders. You are seeking treatment for a serious mental illness. If you're not sure, feel free to reach out. I’ll let you know if I think I can help, and if not, I’ll try to point you in a more appropriate direction.
What You Can Expect
Depending on your therapy goals, you may end up working with me weekly, every other week, of monthly. How long therapy lasts depends on what your goals are and our plan for meeting your goals. Sessions are 50 minutes long and available by telemedicine through the therapy practice management online portal I use or in person in Tacoma, WA (please note that the office is accessible by stairs). I create brief therapy notes about our sessions that you can request from me at anytime, which I can send to you through the online portal. I offer a 20 minute free consultation for us to determine if therapy with me is likely to best meet your needs. Prior to that consultation, I will ask you to complete a brief intake form with information about you, your reason for seeking therapy and some information about your history with therapy and mental health treatment. If we decide to continue, I will ask you to review and sign consent form for treatment and privacy notices. In our first session, we will explore your interests in therapy, what you hope to get out of it, and what questions or concerns you may have about our work together. I may ask you to complete a standardized measure to assess psychological symptoms, if relevant, and ask you additional questions about your history and experiences to help me understand your interests and needs. Setting therapy goals and tracking our success in meeting them is one way to ensure you are getting the most out of our therapy together. In our second session, we will collaborate on a plan for your therapy goals and how best to meet them and then get started. Sometimes this process takes a few sessions.
Fees, Insurance, and Waitlist
Fee: My fee is $250 for a standard 50-minute individual therapy session. I offer a free 20-minute phone consultation to explore fit and answer any questions you may have. I accept payment by cash, check (payable to Doyanne Aspen Darnell, PLLC), or credit card (through a secure online therapy practice portal). Insurance: I do not accept insurance or Medicare. I am considered an out-of-network provider. I can provide a monthly superbill for you to submit to your insurance for possible reimbursement. I recommend checking with your insurance company to understand your out-of-network benefits. Waitlist: If I am currently full, you are welcome to join my waitlist. I will let you know as soon as an opening becomes available.
How To Connect & Where to Find Me
Ready to get started or learn more? If what you’ve read resonates, I’d love to hear from you. I will be taking new clients in November of 2025. I am available for in person or telehealth/virtual visits. The in person location requires use of stairs to get to the office. I can see clients virtually from anywhere in Washington State. Please email me to set up a free 20-minute consultation or for more information.
Therapy Consent Form and Privacy Notices
Please review the consent for services and notification of privacy practices.