Ellen Darling

Dr. Ellen Darling is a seasoned clinical psychologist in Providence, RI who works with adults, students, and couples. She sees many members of the Brown University community including faculty, staff, students, and medical professionals.

Dr. Darling’s individual treatment approach is integrative, drawing from insight-oriented psychodynamic traditions and skills-based therapies including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. While each session is anchored by an intimate therapeutic relationship, she draws from a range of approaches and tools to collaboratively co-create change with you. Her relational approach is often emotionally-evocative as challenging places within are approached in pursuit of more freedom, vitality, and growth.

Dr. Darling also has advanced expertise in treating intimate relationships. She is passionate about guiding couples through challenges including intimacy difficulties, alienation, communication impasses, chronic conflict, infidelity, parenthood issues, and other periods of transition. She practices Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT), an evidence-based approach that identifies patterns that keep partners disconnected and in doing so offers new possibilities for empathy and change. IBCT has been the focus of a major clinical trial sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health and has garnered scientific support as a leading intervention for relationship distress. Dr. Darling has a sub-specialty in supporting new mothers, and couples, in navigating the transition to parenthood and in treating perinatal anxiety and depression.

Dr. Darling received her BA from Brown University, her PhD from Clark University, where she trained at the Center for Couples and Family Research, and she completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Brown University's Warren Alpert Medical School. In addition to her private practice, Dr. Darling is an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Lifeline for Families Group at UMass Chan Medical School where she works on research advancing relationship healthcare.