About Starla
Starla Hedrick is a licensed clinical social worker who focuses on practical, evidence-based care for people facing stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship concerns. She uses a straightforward style to help people build coping skills and to manage life changes. Starla works from California and brings 17 years of experience to each conversation.
Her sessions often center on real-life problems like communication breakdowns, blended family challenges, and caregiving strain. She also supports people dealing with chronic illness, chronic pain, and end-of-life concerns.
Background and approach
Starla helps people facing panic attacks, social anxiety, workplace stress, substance use, and low self-esteem. She emphasizes hands-on strategies that can be used between sessions. That might include learning new ways to talk about hard topics, practicing skills to calm anxiety, or making step-by-step plans for a difficult transition.
Starla keeps language simple and focuses on what will help now. People find her approach direct but warm, centered on collaboration and respect. She aims to create a space where clients feel heard and can set small, achievable goals.
The work is paced to match each person’s needs. Her background includes long-term work with older adults and with people navigating serious health issues. With 17 years in the field, she brings varied experience and a steady presence to sessions.
Starla holds the LCSW credential, which stands for licensed clinical social worker.
How evidence-based techniques fit into online therapy
Starla uses practical, evidence-based techniques that focus on skills people can use in daily life. One common approach helps people learn concrete coping skills for anxiety and panic, such as breathing and grounding exercises, stepwise exposure to feared situations, and planning for high-stress moments. These tools aim to reduce immediate distress and improve confidence.Another approach emphasizes problem-solving and communication skills for relationships and life transitions. This involves breaking big problems into smaller steps, practicing clearer ways to ask for what you need, and setting achievable goals. It is useful for blended family challenges, caregiver stress, and workplace conflicts.
Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to identify goals, try methods that fit their situation, and adjust the plan over time. That way the strategies match the client’s needs and preferences rather than following a fixed script.
Online sessions offer flexibility and accessibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text messaging are useful for shorter check-ins, quick skill coaching, or people who prefer typing. These options help fit therapy into busy schedules and different rhythms of daily life.
Frequently asked questions
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How long has she been practicing?
What are her credentials and where is she based?
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
Also works with
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Blended family issues
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Intellectual disability
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
- Experience
- 17 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English