Darby Mortenson, Psy.D. (she/her)

Welcome. My name is Darby Mortenson. I am a Postdoctoral Fellow at Bryant West Psychology. I currently offer individual and couples therapy for adolescents and adults, with morning, daytime, and limited evening availability. My clinical specialties include family of origin concerns, eating disorders, sexual trauma, and relationship issues, including violence within relationships. I am also adept at working with anxiety, mood disorders, such as depression, and various manifestations of stress.

My style is warm, emotionally attuned, and grounded in psychodynamic theory, with a particular emphasis on object-relational and transference-focused therapy. I believe our greatest wounds often occur within relationships that were limited, or have failed or violated us, intentionally and unintentionally. Healing often happens within the context of healthier relationships, often the therapeutic relationship. Together, we will look at how your early childhood relationships shaped your inner world and emotional reflexes. Therapy becomes a space to recover what was lost, reintegrate emotions that once felt unsafe, and reclaim your capacity for vulnerability, playfulness, desire, sadness, and anger. - the full range of vital emotions.

I also incorporate existential themes into my work. This means we may explore not only your relationships and daily struggles but also the deeper questions underlying distress: Who am I? What matters to me? How do I live knowing I will someday die? If spirituality or religion is central to your identity, we can also explore how those beliefs shape your experience of self and world.

I earned my doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Albizu University in Miami Florida. My clinical experience spans eating disorder residential treatment, inpatient and intensive outpatient care for adolescents with severe mental illness, and university counseling centers with special focus on group psychotherapy and sexual trauma. These settings have shaped my ability to hold the complexities of the human experience with trauma-informed and culturally sensitive care.

Whether you are facing long-standing emotional pain or new life transitions, it is a privilege to walk alongside you as you explore what it means to feel more like yourself again.