Stephanie K. Starks, LISW-S is an independently licensed, trauma-focused therapist and Clinical Director of Starks Counseling and Consultation Services, LLC. Ms. Starks has built her career counseling and advocating for children, families, couples, and groups in the greater Columbus community for close to 20 years.
The scope of Ms. Starks’ practice includes counseling, clinical supervision and training, consulting, and facilitating trainings and workshops. Topics covered include trauma, mental health, self-care, and resiliency. Ms. Starks has provided dozens of trainings and workshops to organizations such as St. Stephen’s, Columbus City Schools, Columbus IMPACT, and more. In addition, she has spent the last 4 years providing free traumatic grief support groups for mothers of children who have died due to gun violence in greater Columbus. . Her dedication to service led to Starks Counseling securing a $75,000 grant from the City of Columbus which allowed her to expand her free services to also include free counseling services as well as free support groups and workshops to families impacted my traumatic grief.
Her leadership in mental healthcare and trauma lead to Ms. Starks giving her first TEDx talk on trauma in October 2022 in association with the King-Lincoln Bronzeville TEDx series in Columbus Ohio. She was just selected as the 2022 Social Worker of the Year for the state of Ohio by The National Association of Social Workers Ohio Chapter. She will be competing with other social workers for the National Social Work of The Year award later this year.
Ms. Starks is a proud graduate of The Ohio State University, where she earned her Master of Social Work. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, Ohio Chapter, where she holds the office of Region 5 Director for the Central Ohio area. Ms. Starks is also a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Iota Nu Sigma Alumnae Chapter, where she has served in various leadership positions over the last 5 years.
Ms. Starks is the proud parent to a 28-year-old daughter. She has a great love for the arts and travel, so she attends live concerts, plays, and musicals and travels locally and abroad in her spare time.
