MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST
Pronouns: She/Her
Marisa decided to become a Couple and Family Therapist because of her continued fascination with the process of life. How can we move forward in the most uncomfortable parts of our lives and relationships and become more authentically ourselves? How can we live with the parts of ourselves, each other, and the world we have little control over, especially when they may threaten our very existence? How can we best navigate challenges, even crisis, when they often make us feel powerless, stuck and overwhelmed?
Whether challenge is playing out in the form of conflict in relationships, feeling overwhelmed, anxiety, depression, or any other form of distress, Marisa brings warmth and sincerity to collaboratively moving through difficult times with her clients. Marisa is committed to meeting people who feel their world crumbling with tenderness, compassion, trust in life (that means trust in you, just as you are!), and dedication to nurturing authenticity in all of its diverse forms. In her former career as a gardener, she worked with clients to uncover rich relationships with their landscapes, a sense of beauty and wonder, and a sense of belonging to the world. She brings this same emphasis on exploration, interconnection, and depth into her work as a therapist, seeing each person and relationship as a unique and essential expression of life. As a systems-oriented therapist, she focuses on the ways we are shaped by our cultures and relationships.
Marisa graduated in 2023 with a degree in Couple and Family Therapy from Antioch University Seattle. She received her undergraduate degree in Community, Environment and Planning from the University of Washington in 2010. Marisa weaves together Collaborative, Experiential, and Strategic approaches to therapy. In practice, this means the therapy sessions center the client’s experience and emotions as guides for the process of therapy. Marisa brings tools from Nonviolent Communication, Internal Family Systems, and experiential therapies into her work, assisting clients in building internal awareness and concrete skills alongside their existing strengths to navigate difficulty. She works with families and children using child-led play therapy techniques.
Marisa is an associate-level clinician at Twin Lakes Counseling (MG61387649; NPI# 1134885940). She is supervised by Danielle Scarsella-Gonia, LMFT (LF60835868; NPI# 1740653120).
