Inspiring Conversations with Darrian of Arrange Your Change Therapy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Darrian.

Hi Darrian, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always known I wanted to work in a helping profession, but what really drew me to marriage and family therapy was the idea of looking at people in the context of their relationships and systems rather than just as individuals. I completed both my bachelor’s in psychology and master’s in marriage and family therapy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where I also published research on sexual satisfaction in religious couples. Through that process, I began to see how cultural silence around sexuality often intersects with challenges like sexual abuse and understanding consent, which deeply influenced the direction of my career.

After graduation, I began working as a clinician and became certified in EMDR, a trauma-informed therapy model. I found myself working more with survivors of relational trauma, including women who had experienced sexual, physical, or emotional abuse. This eventually led me to start a therapy group for survivors that I still run today. While I loved my clinical work, I also knew I wanted to contribute on a broader level, so I pursued my PhD at Florida State University. During my doctorate, I conducted research on child sexual abuse and disclosure experiences, taught undergraduate courses, and continued my clinical work. I fast-tracked the program, finishing in just three years while also becoming fully licensed.

In 2023, I moved to Arizona to complete the final stages of my doctoral training. During this time, I began teaching for the Master of Counseling program at the University of Phoenix. I also launched my own virtual private practice, Arrange Your Change Therapy, where I work with individuals, couples, and families across Nevada, Florida, and Arizona. Our mission is to help people heal and grow from a trauma-informed and relational perspective, whether they are individuals navigating trauma, couples working through disconnection, or families facing life transitions.As my practice grew, I became an Arizona board-approved supervisor so I could mentor student and associate clinicians. I also developed a continuing education training to guide clinicians in working with clients who have a history of intimate partner violence, addressing what I identified as a gap in the field.

Last year, at 28, I graduated with my doctorate in marriage and family therapy and accepted a position as Program Co-Director and Clinical Assistant Professor for the Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy program at Arizona State University. Today, I balance my roles as a business owner, clinician, supervisor, and educator. Looking back, every step from my early research to my clinical experiences has brought me closer to this work I feel so passionate about. I am excited to continue growing both as a therapist and as someone who can help train and support the next generation of clinicians.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of the hardest parts of my journey was balancing so much at once. I finished a four-year PhD program in just three years while also teaching undergraduate students, working with clients, and completing 1,600 clinical hours to become fully licensed in three states. It required long nights, strict discipline, and learning to push through exhaustion when I wanted to quit.

Another challenge was the personal sacrifice. I spent nearly all of my twenties in school, almost ten years straight, while many of my peers were traveling, dating, building relationships, and enjoying that season of life. I often had to say no to fun and social opportunities just to get by, and while I entered my thirties very established in my career, I also entered without the personal milestones many of my friends had reached. There were also the challenges of distance and isolation. I moved far from home to pursue my doctorate, and because I started during COVID, it was incredibly difficult to make connections.

Finally, being young in my field came with its own set of struggles. I had the training and the passion, but I still had to navigate the perception of my age. It wasn’t easy to step into the role of a marriage and family therapist, then professor, then program director and clinical supervisor to people who were often older than me. I went from trainee to leader very quickly, and learning to hold that responsibility with confidence took time. People often tell me how lucky I am, and I always remind them that it was not luck but years of hard work and sacrifice that brought me here. Those challenges shaped me into the therapist, educator, and leader I am today.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Arrange Your Change Therapy is a fully virtual private practice that I founded to make therapy accessible and flexible while still offering highly specialized care. We serve individuals, couples, and families across Arizona, Nevada, and Florida, and our focus is on approaching problems from a relational and trauma-informed lens. That means we do not just look at symptoms in isolation, but at how people’s histories, relationships, and environments shape their current experiences.

We specialize in working a variety of challenges, including trauma, intimate partner violence, relational struggles, anxiety, depression, life transitions, and more. A large part of my work has been oriented around helping women and their families safely leave abusive relationships. Some of the women I’ve supported had been married and financially dependent on their partners for over 40 years, and it has been deeply meaningful to walk alongside them as they reclaim their independence and rebuild their lives. In addition to providing therapy, I mentor clinicians-in-training as a board-approved supervisor and have developed a continuing education training on intimate partner violence to address a gap I identified in the field.

Brand-wise, what I am most proud of is that Arrange Your Change Therapy has become known as a safe space for survivors of trauma and for anyone who feels they need a therapist who truly understands the relational impact of their struggles. We are passionate about helping clients not just cope, but create a life where healing feels possible. We believe therapy is not only about addressing what is “wrong,” but also about building a deeper understanding of yourself and your relationships so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Many of the biggest risks I’ve taken have come in the form of sacrifice. From a very young age, I made major life decisions that meant leaving comfort and familiarity behind. I moved far from home to pursue opportunities in Las Vegas, abroad in Italy, Florida, and Arizona. Moving every few years was exciting, but it came with challenges. It was harder to form long-term friendships, and I missed out on certain personal milestones. These early experiences taught me how to navigate uncertainty and laid the foundation for taking bigger risks later in life.

Building on my willingness to step into the unknown, I fast-tracked my PhD, completing a four-year program in three years. This accelerated path was uncommon and made the academic job market less certain. During this time, I moved to Arizona to be closer to family, adding to the risk without a job lined up. I then opened my own private practice, supervising clinicians under my license. The legal and ethical responsibilities were significant, but I wanted to create a practice where I could ensure high-quality care while mentoring new clinicians. These decisions eventually led me to my dream position at ASU, where I stepped into roles as both a clinical assistant professor and program co-director, something I never imagined would be possible right out of school.

These sacrifices ultimately allowed me to create a career and life I truly love, with flexibility, control over my practice, and the freedom to travel and pursue experiences I had postponed for years. Each risk has reinforced lessons about resilience, patience, and the importance of staying aligned with long-term goals, showing me that sacrifice can open doors to opportunities far beyond what I initially imagined.

Pricing:

• Therapist Interns: $30+ per session
• Associate Therapists: $70+ per session
• Independently Licensed Therapists: $150+ per session
• Group Clinical Supervision: $50+ per hour
• Individual Clinical Supervision: $100+ per hour

Contact Info:

• Website: https://arrangeyourchange.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arrangeyourchange?igsh=YW0wNTc4M2djYWY2
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arrangeyourchange/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arrangeyourchange/