About Me

Hi, my name is Darlene Friend, I graduated from California University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Social Work as well as an Aging Specialist Certificate in Gerontology. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Pennsylvania and a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in West Virginia. I began working in Community Mental Health in Pennsylvania as a psychotherapist and then as a supervisor. I expanded my area of service into West Virginia, first as a director of high-intensity services before returning to my passion as a psychotherapist. I provide individual therapy and have experience in family therapy, couples counseling and group services. My preferred client population is with those who are 14 years of age and older. I am experienced in a wide variety of mental health conditions ranging from chronic and persistent mental illness to adjustment disorders and grief. My background experiences include assertive/community treatment, outpatient mental health, substance abuse, blended case management, crisis intervention, community/ outreach programs, advocacy, and collaboration. I am specialized in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR therapy is utilized for big and little traumas that affect the whole person. I have also received training in many areas of behavioral health such as trauma and sexual assault. I incorporate multiple modalities and evidenced-based practices in therapy. My experience has provided me with the unique perspective of viewing services from both sides of service delivery and compliance. This assures your therapeutic experience will be individually tailored to be the most effective at improving your mental health within the moral and ethical scope of clinical social work practice.