Nancy Darr, LCSW

Clinical Director

EMAIL:

Darr@groveschool.org

PHONE:

203-245-2778 ext. 333

Nancy has been a part of the Grove community since 2002, starting as a part time clinician and special education coordinator then to a full-time clinician and now as the assistant clinical director.  Nancy was born and raised in Connecticut and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice/Sociology from Central Connecticut State University. She earned her Master’s degree in Social Work from Southern Connecticut State University and holds her CT License as a Clinical Social Worker.

Nancy has had the opportunity to work in an array of human service settings, including a community release program with the Connecticut Department of Corrections where she served as a counselor, conducted treatment groups and coordinated activities to aid in the rehabilitation of corrections clients.  Nancy also worked at Mitchell College where she supervised a group of residence halls, aided in the coordination of campus wellness activities, taught freshman seminar and supervised student leaders within the residence life program.  Nancy additionally worked at Vista Vocational and Life Innovations (Vista), as a counselor and served as a clinical intern within their admissions program.  Nancy continues to maintain a relationship with Vista as she provides clinical support groups for student members in the areas of mindfulness, grief and loss, distress tolerance and relationship building.  Additionally, Nancy has a small private practice within the shoreline community where she has primarily focused her work with adolescents and families as well as therapy and treatment coordination with special needs populations.

Nancy is also SIFI (Seminar In Field Instruction) certified through Southern Connecticut State University, which allows her to supervise masters level social work students as part of their clinical training requirements and has supervised developing clinicians in this capacity at the Grove School.  In her current role at Grove School, Nancy works to coordinate various aspects of the clinical department both with clinicians and with student support, aids in staff training and treatment coordination while maintaining her role as a clinician.  Nancy has worked extensively with attachment issues and has co-facilitated a therapy group for several years that is focused on adoption and attachment related themes. Nancy is a member of the shoreline crisis task force, aimed at supporting youth in the event of a school-based crisis and volunteers with various youth development groups within in the shoreline community.

Nancy has received training in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) therapy and continues to further participate in on-going skills training in this area. Nancy has found that the EMDR process is a valuable therapeutic tool in aiding clients who have suffered with trauma during their developmental years.  A systems theory approach is a treatment modality that Nancy embraces with her work at Grove.  Addressing the multiple systems in one’s life is a crucial part of treatment and for the adolescents who come to Grove School, the Grove Milieu becomes a valuable system within their treatment.  Nancy describes working with adolescents in the Grove milieu as “a gift”, as the ability to interface with students, treatment teams, teachers and families provides a plentiful platform that maximizes the potential for affecting positive change.  As a clinician at Grove School, Nancy is most proud of the on-going connections that she has maintained with Grove graduates over the 18 years she has worked for the Grove School.  “Watching students make changes from their admission day to their graduation day is truly powerful, however, hearing about how students have used the tools they have learned as they navigate young adulthood is priceless!”

Nancy resides with her husband, Victor, and two sons. Free time is mostly spent at family events, cheering on her two sons at their many athletic events and extracurricular activities.  Nancy has become an avid baseball watcher, enjoys theater, gardening and outdoor adventures with her dog and family.

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