- Years in practice
- 26
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Licensed in
- New York
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Addictions
- Focus
- LGBT
About Dara
Dara Damico is a licensed clinical social worker with 26 years of experience in New York. She focuses on helping people who feel overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, and parenting challenges. Dara aims to create a steady, respectful space where a person can talk honestly about what’s going on and find ways to cope.
Dara uses practical, evidence-based methods matched to each person’s needs. Sessions tend to be straightforward and collaborative.
Background and approach
She listens for patterns that cause pain and works with people to try new responses. Her practice emphasizes a client-centered, trauma-informed approach. That means priorities are set by the person in therapy and pacing is adjusted to what feels manageable.
Dara encourages building small, repeatable skills that add up over time. She often draws on cognitive behavioral tools to address difficult thoughts and behaviors. Mindfulness-based techniques are used to help people notice emotions without getting swept away.
Dialectical behavior ideas can support strong emotion regulation and distress tolerance. Dara also brings emotionally-focused perspectives to relationship and intimacy concerns, helping clients identify unmet needs and express them more clearly. Parents and caregivers can work on stress, boundaries, and clearer routines without feeling judged.
Sessions are offered in English and take place with an eye toward practical changes a person can use between meetings. Dara works with people who want a mixture of conversational support and targeted skill-building.
What Dara works with
Everything Dara lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Dara helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Attachment issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Control issues
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Women's issues
Approaches Dara lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Approaches that translate well to online work
Dara often uses client-centered methods that start by listening to what matters most to the person. This approach focuses sessions around a person’s priorities and goals, and it works well online because each meeting can be shaped to current needs.She also draws on cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors. CBT is practical and skills-based, so exercises and homework can be reviewed easily over video or messaging. Dialectical behavior therapy techniques are used to build emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, which can be practiced and reinforced between sessions.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Dara will talk with clients about their problems, goals, and what feels most useful. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as progress is made.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, offering flexibility for different needs. Video calls allow for fuller conversation and nonverbal cues. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is low or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text messaging suit quick check-ins, ongoing coaching, or brief skill practice during a busy week. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or other routines.
Questions people ask about Dara
What kinds of concerns does this therapist address?
Dara works with a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, trauma, parenting strain, intimacy-related problems, sleep and eating concerns, ADHD, and career stress.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is compassionate and practical. She blends client-centered listening with skill-based methods so sessions feel collaborative and focused on usable tools.
How much experience does she have?
She has 26 years of clinical experience working with people on complex emotional issues and long-term challenges.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is a LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker - practicing in New York.
Which languages are supported and can international clients connect?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
Work can take place via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with this therapist?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a session according to therapist availability.
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