Dianna Stark

With a Masters Degree from New York University School of Social Work and almost 20 years of experience in the field of human behavior, Dianna Stark brings a wide range of skills and expertise to everything she does. She completed post graduate training in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy at St. Mark’s Place Institute in New York City, where she also acted as assistant director for both the mental health and substance abuse clinics. She has worked as a consultant with Cigna Behavioral Health, providing trainings, seminars and consultations for EAP (Employee Assistance Program) clients at major corporations throughout New York City. When consulting with Cigna, she was the lead group coordinator for major EAP clients in New York after the 9/11 attacks. She was responsible for setting up support groups and support networks throughout NY and NJ for over 300 family members affected by the disaster. Those support networks are still in place today.

Prior to relocating to Orange County, California, she maintained both a private therapy practice and EAP consulting business in both NY and NJ.  Known for her ability to work with and manage difficult and challenging people, Ms. Stark would frequently be called on to assess behavioral incidents in corporate settings and make recommendations for either further mental health treatment, or create strategies for improvement in communication and employee relations.

Ms. Stark’s specialties include, anxiety and stress management, anger management and communication skills. Much of her career has focused on helping people improve communication skills, in private and corporate settings and in health care. Her skills are frequently tapped to help executives, physicians and other professionals, improve their communication and manage their stress and anger in order to avoid creating a toxic workplace.

Her Credentials and Publications Include:

• Certified Anger Management Specialist, Fellow, National Anger Management Association

• Certified Anger Management Facilitator, Anderson and Anderson

• Certified in Group Critical Incident Stress Debriefings, International Critical Incident Stress Foundation

• Certified Coaching for Emotional Intelligence, Anderson and Anderson

• Approved Administrator of all B level testing with MHS Inc. including:  EQi 2.0, EQ 360 and EQi:YV emotional intelligence tests

• Chosen as a presenter at major industry events such as the NASW Addictions Council where she presented a paper on recovery at midlife.

• LCSW-R, New York State

• LCSW, New Jersey

• LCSW, California

• Emotional Intelligence: A Critical Tool to Understand and Improve Behaviors That Impact Patient Care

Throughout most of her career, Ms. Stark has presented seminars and trainings on behalf of various EAPs. Realizing that many companies require a more customized approach to seminars, rather than the boilerplate PowerPoints, she offers custom presentations for companies that address the specific needs of their employee populations. By producing seminars and trainings that speak directly to the targeted population, employees then have a more enriching and fulfilling experience. Sample topics include: Managing Test Anxiety, Emotional Intelligence for Leadership, Managing Stress in a Chaotic Environment, Work Life Balance When You Work in a Different Time Zone…

With years of intensive training and experience and multiple specialty certificates, Dianna is also available to provide psychotherapy services for individuals, couples and families. She provides therapy for children, adolescents and adults in person in, San Juan Capistrano. She also provides online therapy to clients who are residents of California, New York and New Jersey.