Gayle Bradley-Starkes , MD, LCSW-C, LICSW

Gayle Bradley-Starkes is a licensed mental health professional with 27 years of clinical experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, relationship challenges, family conflict, and coping with grief and loss. She combines a medical degree (MD) with clinical social work licenses (LCSW-C and LICSW) to bring both clinical training and a strengths-based, empathetic approach to her work. She is licensed to practice in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.

Gayle views each person as the expert of their own story and aims to help clients draw on existing strengths to address the issues that feel most challenging. She emphasizes practical, compassionate support that helps people move forward, whether they are navigating major life transitions, repairing relationships, or learning new ways to manage stress and emotions. Taking the first step toward therapy requires courage and commitment, and Gayle frames her role as a steady partner in clients’ personal growth journeys.

With a focus on collaboration, respect, and evidence-informed care, Gayle helps clients identify goals, build resilience, and develop skills that translate into everyday life. Her practice welcomes people seeking thoughtful, patient-centered guidance as they work toward more balanced, satisfying lives.

Client-Centered and Mindfulness-Informed Online Care

Gayle Bradley-Starkes integrates client-centered and mindfulness therapy approaches into her online practice to help people manage stress, relationships, and life transitions. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and supporting clients to identify their own goals and solutions - it is useful for relationship issues, decision-making, and building self-confidence. Mindfulness therapy teaches simple attention and grounding skills that can reduce the intensity of anxiety, improve sleep, and help people tolerate difficult emotions.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the work and is treated as a collaborative process. Gayle works with each person to tailor strategies based on their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting methods as progress unfolds to ensure the best fit for the individual's situation.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, making it easier to schedule sessions around work, caregiving, or other commitments. These formats allow clients to access licensed professionals from home or wherever they feel most comfortable, while still receiving thoughtful, consistent therapeutic support.