DC Portrait of Darla Cozzarelli

Darla Cozzarelli, LCSW

Compassionate, practical therapy for anxiety

3 years in practice · based in California · sessions in English · online sessions

Explore online therapy options

We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.

About Darla

Darla Cozzarelli is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, low self-esteem, and depression. She speaks plainly and focuses on practical steps you can use day to day. Her approach is warm and respectful, aimed at helping people feel steadier and more in control of their lives.

She trained at the University of Southern California and brings three years of clinical experience. Much of her background is in community mental health, where she supported people healing from trauma and managing co-occurring challenges such as substance use and mood symptoms.

Explore online therapy options See what online therapy involves and what your next steps would be.

Background and approach

That experience shaped how she thinks about crisis work and longer-term recovery. Darla also draws on personal experience as an adoptee who has navigated her own mental health challenges. She uses that perspective to relate to questions about identity, attachment, and belonging.

This personal insight informs how she listens and responds in sessions. Her sessions combine person-centered care with practical methods like cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing. She aims to help people identify patterns, try small changes, and build skills that reduce distress.

The tone in sessions is collaborative and nonjudgmental. People come to her for help with issues such as abandonment, attachment struggles, codependency, communication problems, control issues, addiction, impulsivity, loneliness, paranoia, post-traumatic stress, self-love, and recovery from sexual assault and abuse. Darla favors an approach that balances immediate stabilization with longer-term growth.

She works with English-speaking adults in California and provides online sessions in several formats. Starting therapy involves a short matching questionnaire and scheduling a session that fits the client’s needs.

How Darla’s approaches work online

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and understanding each person’s experience. It helps people feel heard and shapes goals around what matters most to them, which can be useful for anxiety, grief, and identity questions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at thoughts and behaviors that keep stress and anxiety going. It teaches simple tools and small experiments to change unhelpful patterns and reduce symptoms over time.

Motivational Interviewing helps when someone feels stuck or unsure about change. The clinician uses curiosity and gentle questions to boost motivation and support realistic next steps, often helpful with addiction and ambivalence.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about needs, goals, and preferences and try approaches that feel like the best fit. Adjustments are made along the way based on what helps most.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility for people with busy schedules. Video calls let you see facial cues and do deeper work, phone sessions can fit into a short break or use less bandwidth, and live chat or text messaging can be used for quick check-ins or when typing feels easier. These options make it simpler to keep continuity of care and fit therapy into everyday life.
Explore online therapy options See what online therapy involves and what your next steps would be.

Questions people ask

What concerns does Darla focus on?
She helps people dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, self-esteem issues, and depression, along with related concerns like addiction, attachment issues, and isolation.
What is her approach to therapy?
The work blends client-centered therapy with cognitive behavioral techniques and motivational interviewing to identify patterns and try practical changes that reduce distress.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has three years of experience working in community mental health settings and other clinical roles supporting people through trauma and co-occurring challenges.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in California.
Which languages are supported and can international clients connect?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available online?
Sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on what fits the client.
How are sessions priced?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin the process?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.

What this therapist works with

Experience
3 years
Licensed
California
Languages
English

We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.