Gayle Bradley-Starkes, MD, LCSW-C, LICSW
Calm, practical support for everyday struggles
Book with GayleWorks with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Grief
- Anger management
- Coaching
How Gayle works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- MD, LCSW-C, LICSW
- Licensed in
- Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia
- Years in practice
- 27
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Gayle
Gayle Bradley-Starkes is a licensed therapist with 27 years of clinical experience. She holds an MD and social work licensure as LCSW-C and LICSW. Gayle focuses on practical, down-to-earth help for people coping with stress, anxiety, anger, grief, relationship strain, and related challenges.
She starts by listening and treating the client as the expert in their own life. Sessions focus on clear goals and skills that can be used between meetings.
Background and approach
Gayle brings a calm, steady presence and works at a pace the client finds comfortable. Her background blends medical training with decades of social work practice in Maryland and nearby areas. That mix influences how she looks at problems - considering emotional, behavioral, and daily-life factors together.
This helps when concerns involve sleep, addictions, bipolar disorder, ADHD, or trauma and abuse. Gayle often uses client-centered techniques to help people feel heard and understood. She also incorporates mindfulness practices to build awareness and reduce reactivity.
These approaches are meant to help with anger, communication problems, self-esteem, and caregiver stress. Practical issues such as blended family dynamics, adoption and foster care, aging concerns, or family-of-origin patterns are all areas she can address in sessions. The work usually includes coaching on skills, talking through difficult memories, and planning steps to change unhelpful patterns.
Starting therapy with Gayle involves a straightforward matching and scheduling process. She aims to help people make steady progress toward clearer thinking, calmer reactions, and stronger relationships.
What Gayle works with
Everything Gayle lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Gayle's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Grief
- Anger management
- Coaching
- Addictions
- Trauma and abuse
- Intimacy-related issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Self esteem
- Bipolar disorder
- ADHD
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Postpartum depression
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Gayle lists
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 fit your life online
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and responding to what matters most to the person in front of the therapist. It emphasizes understanding your perspective, validating your experience, and shaping the work around your goals. This approach is often helpful for relationship strain, self-esteem concerns, and navigating grief.Mindfulness therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and increase calm. These exercises help people notice anger or anxiety as it starts and choose different responses. Mindfulness can support better sleep, stress management, and coping after trauma.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Gayle will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their needs and preferences. Together they set goals and adjust techniques based on progress and comfort.
Online therapy formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which provide flexibility for different schedules and needs. Video sessions let you see facial cues and body language. Phone sessions use less bandwidth and can be easier when you prefer not to be on camera. Live chat or text messaging can work for quick check-ins, ongoing support, or shorter coaching-style conversations. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy days and to continue work between sessions.
Questions people ask about Gayle
What kinds of concerns can be addressed?
She helps with stress, anxiety, anger, grief, relationship strain, addictions, trauma, sleep problems, self-esteem, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and related life issues.
What is her general approach in therapy?
Sessions are client-centered and practical, with attention to personal goals and real-life skills. Mindfulness techniques are used to increase awareness and reduce reactivity.
What experience does the therapist bring?
Gayle has 27 years of professional experience combining medical background and long-term social work practice in mental health settings.
Where is she licensed and located?
She practices in Maryland and holds the credentials MD, LCSW-C, and LICSW.
Which languages are offered for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging.
How are costs handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working together?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.