Obsessive-compulsive disorder therapists & psychiatrists in Carlsbad, CA

Most of my clients describe me as nonjudgmental and deeply empathic. I create a warm welcoming space for you to become you. Sometimes that's all some people need to heal.

As a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), I’m trained at the graduate level in mental health care across the lifespan. I assess mental health concerns, diagnose conditions, prescribe and manage psychiatric medications, and provide psychotherapy. I also coordinate care with therapists, primary care providers, and other specialists as needed.

I have a bachelor's degree in human services, master's degree in nursing, and am currently licensed as a Psychiatric NP at a psychiatric urgent care, psychiatric inpatient, and psychiatric nursing home. I had been working in mental health field with various roles from crisis mental health coach, psychiatric residential RN, psychiatric emergency and urgent care RN. A majority of my patients have disorder of depression, anxiety, insomnia, bipolar, trauma, and psychosis.

I'm Matt Darst, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker trained at the University of Southern California, with advanced training in military and veteran clinical social work. I work with adults who are motivated to change but feel stuck — navigating trauma, addiction, mood disorders, OCD, grief, or the kind of cumulative pressure that quietly builds until something gives.

My clients tend to be high-functioning people who look fine from the outside but are carrying more than they let on. That includes professionals managing stress and burnout, veterans and first responders, and anyone who's ready to do honest, purposeful work — regardless of background or title.

I bring a direct, warm style grounded in kind accountability. I'm not here to tell you what you want to hear. I'm here to help you move.

I provide compassionate, evidence-based mental health care in a safe, judgment-free space.

Hello, and welcome. I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker dedicated to helping individuals navigate life's challenges while building resilience, confidence, and meaningful change. I earned my Master of Social Work from Arizona State University and have experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families across a variety of settings.

My areas of focus include anxiety, depression, stress management, life transitions, self-esteem, relationship challenges, burnout, and trauma. I also have experience supporting foster, adoptive, and kinship families, as well as individuals navigating parenting and caregiving responsibilities.

Congratulations for taking the hardest step in therapy, reaching out for help. Past traumas, grief, chronic pain and illness, failed relationships, poor self-esteem, or mental illnesses impacts each of us at difference times in our lives. These moments can make us questions ourselves, traps us into feeling hopeless, with no motivation or energy to believe in a better tomorrow. I will not promise that therapy will be easy or that I have a magic cure so you will no longer have Tragedy, illness or loss. I can promise to provide a safe space, using best practices to move forward. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of experience.

I am currently accepting new clients. Great to meet you. If you have been carrying anxiety, depression, or that heavy feeling of not quite being like yourself, we can work through it together. I offer virtual therapy that meets you where you are, with care that feels compassionate, practical, and grounded in real life. My goal is to help you feel more like yourself again and build a path toward a brighter, more fulfilling tomorrow.