About Dr. Sweetland

          Dr. Sweetland is a licensed clinical psychologist with 20 years of experience specializing in work with children, adolescents and adults.  She has served as Head Psychologist at a private school for students with learning disorders, Clinical Director for an agency for individuals with developmental disorders, and currently maintains a successful private practice in Del Mar, California.  She is established as a sought after specialist in the areas of child and family therapy and recently published Teaching Kids to Think: Raising Confident, Independent, and Thoughtful Children in an Age of Instant Gratification (released March, 3, 2015).  Engaging parents, teachers, coaches, and tutors in her work with children and adolescents is a very important part of her practice because she understands that children and teens are in many different roles throughout their day, including student, son or daughter, sister or brother, friend, teammate, etc. Dr. Sweetland also works with adults around issues of life transitions. These transitions include things such as transitioning into college, getting married, getting divorced, changing careers, or feeling dissatisfied with their current circumstances and waning to make a change. While the reason an adult or parent seeks therapy might be specific, there are many facets to a person’s life and considering the person as a whole is important.
            In addition to her therapy practice, Dr. Sweetland is a specialist in comprehensive assessments for students with learning disorders and ADHD. The focus of the assessment is not only to identify a cognitive challenge, but to establish an overall learning profile, including social and emotional functioning. When completing these assessments she works closely with teachers, school administrators, psychiatrists, and social workers. Therefore, in addition to speaking to many parents each week, this offers her the unique opportunity to frequently visit schools and consult with experts in education about the challenges of this generation of students.
            Throughout her career, Dr. Sweetland has loved her work with individuals with developmental disorders, including autism and intellectual disabilities. She is the co-author of Intellectual Disabilities and Psychiatric Disorders: A Guide to Assessment, Treatment, and Training (2011), which has been the primary training guide in psychiatric hospitals and mental health agencies for professionals working with individuals who are dually diagnosed with an intellectual disability and co-occurring mental health disorder. Because of her expertise in intellectual disabilities and mental health disorders, she provides training to hospitals, community mental health agencies, probation departments, and programs for drug and alcohol addiction.  She also very much enjoys presenting to direct care providers who are new to the field and just learning to understand the complications of working with an individual who is dually diagnosed.

Darlene B. Sweetland, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist and Consultant
PSY16642