- Client-Centered Therapy
- Mindfulness practices
- Grief and loss work
About Gayle
Gayle Bradley-Starkes is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker-Clinical (LCSW-C) in Maryland and a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in the District of Columbia with 27 years of experience. She focuses on life purpose concerns alongside stress, anxiety, relationship issues, grief, anger, addiction, and intimacy-related problems. She also helps with sleeping, self-esteem, bipolar symptoms, and ADHD. Sessions are conducted in English and geared toward adults considering what comes next after a change in work, relationships, or health.
Gayle centers her work on the person in front of her, treating them as the expert on their own story. She draws on client-centered methods to listen closely and help people identify their strengths. Mindfulness practices are used to build present-moment awareness and reduce reactivity around stress and anger.
Her background includes long-term clinical experience across community and clinical settings in the region. That experience informs practical strategies for coping with grief, coordinating care for aging or adoption-related concerns, and addressing patterns like codependency or family-of-origin issues. She also supports people facing caregiver stress, blended family challenges, and commitment or communication problems.
Gayle works at a steady, straightforward pace and focuses on concrete steps people can take between sessions. She offers coaching-style guidance when clients want structured goal work. Many people seek her out when they feel stuck or unsure how to move forward after a life change.
To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session through the site. Fees vary by location and use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How her approaches translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, reflecting, and helping people name their own goals. In an online setting this means sessions concentrate on the client's priorities and on clear, practical next steps to try between appointments.Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple exercises to notice thoughts and bodily sensations without immediate reaction. Online sessions can guide brief practices and discuss how to fold those practices into daily routines to reduce anxiety, improve sleep, and manage anger.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Gayle will work with each person to decide which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. That choice is adjusted over time based on what helps and what does not.
The original profile does not list which session formats she uses, so confirm the available online options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, or remove travel time. Licensed professionals can also use online meetings to coach specific behavior changes and to practice new communication skills between in-person commitments.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
27+ years
Listed in
Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She addresses stress, anxiety, relationship problems, grief, anger, addictions, intimacy issues, sleeping and self-esteem concerns, plus life purpose questions.
How would she approach feeling stuck or directionless?
She uses Client-Centered Therapy to listen and identify strengths, combined with mindfulness techniques to increase present awareness and manage reactivity.
How much experience does she bring?
She has 27 years of professional experience working as a mental health therapist in the Maryland and DC region.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She holds LCSW-C in Maryland and LICSW in the District of Columbia and practices from Maryland.
Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees handled?
Fees vary with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.