About Dr. Williams
Dr. Darlene Williams is a licensed Clinical and Forensic Psychologist, with training and experience in treating individuals with a wide range of mental health issues. She has certifications in hypnotherapy (IAACH) & equine-assisted therapy (EAGALA). She has successfully treated clients ranging from age 2 to 102. Dr. Williams' areas of particular interest/expertise include: couples' issues, family problems, women's issues, cardiac wellness, and rapid trauma resolution. Dr. Williams' approach to healing is holistic: that is, she treats individuals within a mind/body integration framework, utilizing interventions from her extensive training experiences, particularly emphasizing family systems, cognitive behavioral approaches, hypnotherapy, equine assisted psychotherapy, meditation, psychospirituality, and extensive bibliotherapy and cinematherapy.

Dr. Williams' style with her clients is generally more of a psychological consultant, assisting individuals in removing whatever obstacles of a psychological nature appear to be currently impeding their happiness, growth, energy, success and/or zest for life. The course of treatment with Dr. Williams is generally described as dynamic, suppportive, collaborative, and educational in nature, and tends to range anywhere from one to 250 sessions (with an average generally falling around 12 sessions), depending on presenting problem, interventions utilized, and the individual's own commitment to their healing process. (For more detailed information regarding Dr. Williams' credentials and experiences, please see her curriculum Vita, which is included below).

Dr. Williams has offices in Clearwater and Palm Harbor, FL:. She conducts holistic wellness retreats (a "spa for your soul", utilizing multisensory modalities and providing state-of-the-art psychoeducational information), equine-assisted seminars and retreats, and workshops for professionals and paraprofessionals in rapid trauma resolution throughout Florida, as well as nationally and internationally. Services available include: individual, couples, family therapy, play therapy, group therapy, couples and corporate retreats, cardiac wellness programs, equine- assisted psychotherapy/learning, consultation, hypnotherapy, and meditation classes. Additionally, Dr. Williams is qualified as an expert witness in the areas of trauma and psychopathy/sociopathy (aka Antisocial Personality Disorder). Competency to stand trial/criminal responsibility as well as guardianship/probate, and placement (nursing home vs. ALF) evaluations are also available.

Did you know: if you are a participant of Medicare or Blue Cross Blue Shield your insurance now covers hypnosis for particular habit dissolution, such as smoking cessation and weight loss? Call your carrier for further information! For those of you who are not consumers of Medicare or Blue Cross Blue Shield, we encourage you to check with your insurance carriers as well. You may be covered, too!

Coming soon: Reading list for self-help on a variety of issues, so visit us often!

 

VITA

DARLENE WILLIAMS, Ph.D.

 

OFFICE LOCATIONS

 

1227 South Myrtle Avenue                                           3060 Alternate 19 No., Suite B-14

Clearwater, Florida  33756                                           Palm Harbor, FL  34683

(727) 467-4213 (727) 466-0478                                 (727) 785-3944 Fax (727)466-0478

 

EDUCATION

 

Doctor of Psychology degree (Ph.D), Nova Southeastern University.  December, 1993.

 

M.S. degree in Clinical Psychology.  Nova University.  May, 1989.

 

M.A..degree in General Psychology. University of West Florida.  1989.

 

B.A. degree in Psychology.  Minors:  Human Development and Theater. University of Alabama.  May, 1985.

 

 

ACADEMIC HONORS

 

1994                Nova Southeastern University Research Award for dissertation research.

 

1987                Recipient of the Stephen Bufton Memorial Scholarship.

 

1981-1987             Recipient of the following scholarships:

The Linly Heflin Unit

American Business Women’s Association

William Hunter Scholarship

 

1981-1984             The Rotary Club of Shades Valley

 

1984                                Member Psi Chi (Psychology Honor Society)

 

Dean’s List

 

RESEARCH AND FIELD-RELATED EXPERIENCES

 

2005                                Trainer and founding member for the American Institute for Rapid Trauma Resolution and the International Academy for Advanced Clinical Hypnosis.  Responsible for training mental health professionals in clinical hypnosis techniques for rapid trauma resolution.

 

2004                                Trainer-Presenter Hypnotherapy Certification Course:  Trainer for week-long certification courses in beginners’ hypnotherapy in Rapid Trauma Resolution and Frozen Grief.  Brooksville, FL, offered by the Institute for Survivors of Sexual Trauma.

 

2004                                State Board of Trustees – Pace Center for Girls

 

2003                Co-founder – Sunset Retreats

 

2003                                Certified by the Equine-assisted Growth and Learning Association

(internationally recognized credentialing organization) as an Equine-assisted Psychotherapist.

 

2002-present    Psychologist, private practice at offices in Clearwater and Palm Harbor, FL.  Provide individual, group & family therapy psychotherapy, ages 2-102, including hearing impaired clients.  Relaxation Therapy, Forensic Psychology, consultation, Equine-assisted psychotherapy, retreats.

 

2002                                Key psychologist, Florida Psychological Association. Duties include: networking with and educating key legislators on issues negatively effecting mental health consumers and practitioners in the state of Florida.

 

2001                                Psychologist, private practice with Bay Area Psychiatric Consultants. Tampa, FL

 

Certified in Clinical Hypnotherapy, The International Institute for Advanced Clinical Hypnosis.

 

2000-present    Team Psychologist for Children’s Medical Services Craniofacial Clinics.  Tampa and St. Petersburg, FL

 

2000-2002             Psychologist, private practice at The Brain Enhancement Institute, Palm Harbor, FL.

  

1998-2008    Board member.  Pace Center for Girls. Pasco County.

  

1997-present    Court appointed Psychologist for Incapacity evaluations.   Court testimony often required.

 

1997-1999             Psychologist (part-time) Paradigm Health Services, Inc.  Largo, FL Responsibilities included providing treatment, evaluation, and consultation for residents at nursing and rehabilitation facilities.  Clients treated ranged in age from 50-100, with diverse diagnoses and varying levels of functioning.

 

1997                                Psychologist (part-time) for the Center for Treatment of Depression. Holiday, FL.  Provided services and consultation for patients with depression in a partial hospitalization program.

 

1996-present    Court appointed Psychologist for Competency and Competency/Sanity evaluations, adults and juveniles.  Court testimony often required.

 

1996-2001             Licensed Psychologist, private practice at Psychological Management Group. Tampa, Tarpon Springs and New Port Richey, FL.  Responsibilities and experience delineated below.

  

1995-1996       Psychological Resident (private practice) at Psychological Management Group.  Tampa, FL.  Responsibilities included completing psychological evaluations for clients referred by the Department of Corrections and/or Health and Rehabilitative Services, pre-teen through adult.  Individual and family psychotherapy (generally short-term, clients ranging from 3 through eighty), group psychotherapy for a wide range of clientele/ problems, including, but not limited to, juvenile through adult sexual offenders, child victims of sexual abuse, adolescent and adult survivors of sexual abuse, domestic violence offenders, mood disorders, and delinquency (approximately ten different topical groups per week), grant writing, consultation, liasion duties, and research participation.

 

Adjunct faculty member for Nova Southeastern University Center for Psychological Studies-Masters Programs.  Professor of: Couples and Family Counseling Strategies, and Beginning Counseling Skills.

 

1994-1995             Psychological Resident at Coastal Recovery Centers, Inc., Sarasota, FL.

Conducted psychological evaluations with a diverse clientele under contract with Health and Rehabilitative Services of Florida, provided consultation to professionals involved in cases referred.

 

1993-1994             Honorary faculty member at the Missouri Institute of Mental Health, and University of Missouri-Columbia, Department of Psychiatry and Neurology.

 

Psychology Post-doctoral Resident at St. Louis State Hospital Forensic Services.  Conducted pre-trial and pre-sentencing evaluations for county and city courts, including extensive report writing and diagnostic assessment, psychological assessment, supervised interns, performed individual and group psychotherapy (11 hours per week), court testimony, in-service and case conference presentations, participated in treatment team, patient review, and patient community meetings; attended relevant conferences and continuing education workshops, presented research at professional conferences, and contributed to research on the prediction of dangerousness.

 

1993                                Completed dissertation entitled Detection of malingering: A comparison of clinicians’ accuracy rates, confidence in judgment, and strategies of detection.  This dissertation involved an experiment which examined malingering detection in a clinical interview and received Nova Southeastern University’s Research Award in 1994.

 

1992-1993             Psychology Intern for the State University of New York, Counseling Center, Buffalo, NY.  Conducted and wrote up 3-5 intakes per week, had crisis intervention responsibilities, performed individual and group psychotherapy (12-14 hours per week), conducted workshops, member of research committee, consultation duties, supervision of practicum students, in-service and case conference presentations, participated in research and presented findings, vocational assessment and career counseling, and psychological assessment.  Also completed rotation at a State Psychiatric Hospital.  Duties included conducting psychological screenings (diagnostic assessments), psychological evaluations, co-leading group therapy and participation in treatment team meetings. 

 

1991-1992             Child/adolescent/family therapist for Counseling Care Center, Plantation, FL. Responsibilities included: providing individual, play and family therapy; parent, teacher, and physician consultation; psychoeducational testing, and liaison duties.

 

1989-1992             Individual/group/family therapist at the Starting Place, Inc. Hollywood and Pompano Beach, FL.  Responsibilities included: providing individual and family therapy for a caseload of substance abusing adolescents and their families, adult Federal Probation, Department of Corrections, and DUI clients, leading/facilitating peer group therapy with adolescent clients and co-leading/facilitating multifamily group therapy sessions weekly; organizing fund-raising activities, assisting in program development.  Originally employed as a residential therapist, then promoted to the outpatient facility.

 

1989-1990             Individual/group/family/couples therapist for Solomon Center for Girls, a therapeutic group home in Pompano Beach, FL, for severely emotionally disturbed adolescent females.  Responsibilities included:  individual/ family/marital/group therapy with a caseload of adolescent clients and their families, psychological evaluations, staff and program development, case management and consultation with HRS, high school faculty and staff, and served as liaison between the client, client’s family, and other treatment facilities or professionals involved in the clients’ treatment.  Therapy was long term, with an integrative orientation, utilizing a milieu treatment approach.

 

Peer supervisor for first year graduate clinical psychology students.  Presented cases and illustrated therapeutic process and technique.  Was responsible for evaluating and grading students’ understanding of clinical issues and intervention techniques.

 

1988-1989             Individual/group/family/couples/play therapist for the South Dade Community Mental Health Center, Miami, FL (first practicum).  Developed and co-led parent training group project, collected, and assisted in the analysis of data for the purpose of evaluating the project.  Provided intake services and therapy for a caseload of diverse clientele, on a primarily long-term basis, psychodynamic, humanistic, and family systems approaches.

 

Family crisis intervention counselor for Nova University Institute for Social Services to Families.  Duties included: case management, crisis intervention, solution-focused family therapy, liaison responsibilities.

 

Adjunct faculty member for the Friedt School of Business and Entrepreneurship Master’s program in Human Services.  Professor of:

Theory and Practice of Group Counseling, and Human Services for the Child and Adolescent.

 

1987                Author of empirical thesis: Effects of familiarity and communication mode on the detection of deception.

 

1986-1987             Peer counselor for the University of West Florida.

 

1985                                Juvenile counselor for JASP (statewide diversion program).  Duties included: individual and group counseling, family intervention, vocational, educational, and personal counseling, job placement.

 

Conducted independent behavioral research study, resulting in a paper entitled:  Modification of weekly exercise activity: A behavioral approach to habitual fitness.

 

1983-1985             Research Assistant – study dealt with behavior modification technique with normal developmentally delayed children, conducted by Jeri Breiner, Ph.D.  Study published, 1985.

  

1984-1985             Individual research project  - study dealt with self-efficacy and proficiency in deceit; this study provided preliminary data for masters thesis.  Assumed role of independent researcher/experimenter.  Project presented at the annual convention of the Southeastern Psychological Association in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

Volunteer for Parent’s Anonymous, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

 

Research Assistant – study dealt with content analysis of racial stereotypes in prime time television shows.  Co-authored a manuscript on the study:  Crime and adventure: A content analysis of television criminals.  Manuscipt published 1985.

 

Experimental confederate-study dealt with group conformity and suspicion, conducted by Lisa Schemmel, University of Alabama. Research Assistant – performed various tasks for several researchers, University of Alabama.

 

                  Teaching intern for Psychology 101 class.

 

 

1982-1983             Teaching Assistant for the Child Development Center, University of Alabama.

 

1983                                Volunteer, Tuscaloosa Boys’ Club.

 

1982                                Volunteer, Psychological Learning Center, Bryce Hospital, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

 

 

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

 

            International Assoc. for Advanced Clinical Hypnosis (founding member and associate trainer, 2004-present)

            American Institute for Rapid Trauma Resolution (founding member and associate trainer, 2004-present)

            Florida Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Association (2004, 2006)

                Florida Psychological Association (1989-1992; 1999-present)

            American Psychological Association (1984-1995; 1998-2000; 2003-present)

            Healing Arts Alliance (1999; 2005)

            Tampa Bay Association for Women Psychotherapists (1999, 2002)

            Pasco Pediatric Foundation (1998-1999)

            The Association for Treatment of Sexual Abuse (1999)

            APA Division 48 (Division of Peace Psychology) (1991-1992)

            Who’s Who Among Human Services Professionals (1992-1993)

 

OTHER

 

                MENSA (1988-1991; 2001-present)

            Community Service Counsel of West Pasco (1998-2000)

            Big Brothers/Big Sisters (2001-present)

 

PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS

 

2006                                Co-presenter of: The efficacy of hypnosis for decreasing pain, anxiety & recovery time in pediatric patients before, during and after surgery. Presented at the annual membership meeting of the Florida Cleft Palate - Craniofacial Association Inc. Delray Beach, FL

                  

2002                                Co-author of: A Proposal for Comprehensive, Community based Treatment of Female Juvenile Sexual Offenders, in Calder, M. (Ed. 2002)  Young People Who Sexually Abuse: Building the evidence base for your practice. Dorset, London: Russell House Publishing, pp.251-264

    

1999                Presenter of: A Proposal for Comprehensive Outpatient Treatment of Female Juvenile Sex Offenders.  Presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abuse, Orlando, FL.

                      

1997                                Presenter of: Comprehensive Outpatient Treatment of Female Juvenile Sex Offenders: A Pilot Study.  Research presented at the Fifth National Colloquium of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children.

  

1995                                Presenter of: Malingering detection:  A process and outcome comparison. Dissertation research project presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 

1995                Author of: Detection of malingering: A comparison of clinicians’accuracy rates, confidence in judgment, and strategies of detection.  Article accepted for publication in Psychotherapy in Private Practice.

  

1994                                Presenter of: An examination of aversion therapy, incarceration and capital punishment as exemplified through A Clockwork Orange. 

Presented at Missouri Institute of Mental Health’s Weekly Film Festival, St. Louis, MO.

 

1994                Co-presenter of: Assessment and treatment of a deaf forensic patient: A case study. Paper presented at the American College of Forensic Psychology annual symposium, Montreal, Canada.

 

1993                                Co-presenter of: Who are these students and what do they want?  Needs assessment research presented at the Annual Convention of University Counseling Centers of Upstate New York, Binghamton, NY.

 

1991                Author of paper: Detection of malingering: A comparison of accuracy  rates between doctoral trainees and post-doc professionals. Paper presented at the annual convention of the Florida Psychological Association, Key West, FL

  

1985                                Co-author of article entitled: Crime and adventure: A content analysis of.    television criminals.  Paper presented at the annual convention of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Atlanta, GA.  Paper published, 1985. Abstract from independent research project presented at a symposium at the annual convention, Atlanta, GA.  Topic: self-efficacy and proficiency with deceit.

 

 

  

REFERENCES

 

Available upon request