CLINICAL INTERN
Pronouns: She/Her
The calm at the eye of the storm. The bare, stark, wind-whipped branches of trees in winter. The lovingly crafted sandcastle being washed away by inevitable tides. Sure, these images might be poetic and beautiful from outside. But meeting the flow of life, especially unexpected events and transitions, rarely feels poetic or beautiful when it’s happening.
Marisa decided to become a Couple and Family Therapist because of her continued fascination with the process of life. How can we step forward in the grittiest, most uncomfortable parts of our lives and relationships while remaining connected to our most authentic, vulnerable selves? How can we engage or coexist with the parts of the world we have no control over when they may threaten our very existence? How can we muster the courage to encounter experiences that challenge what we know about ourselves, our loved ones, and what we thought we knew about the world? Whether challenge is playing out in the form of relational distress, overwhelm, anxiety, depression, or any other form of disconnection from wellness, 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 personal sense of beauty and wonder, and deep 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 contexts and relationships. We do not grow through challenge alone, and meaningful companionship often comes from unexpected places.
Marisa is currently pursuing a degree in Couple and Family Therapy from Antioch University Seattle. Her undergraduate degree is in Community, Environment and Planning from the University of Washington. Whether working with individuals, couples, or families, she centers the impact of relationships, culture, and the many systems we live in on our health. Marisa weaves together Collaborative, Experiential, and Strategic approaches to therapy. In practice, this means the therapeutic dialogue centers the client’s experience and emotions as guides for the process of therapy. Marisa brings tools from Nonviolent Communication, Gottman Method Couples Therapy, mindfulness and meditation, and restorative justice into her work, assisting clients in building concrete skills alongside their existing strengths to navigate difficulty.
Marisa is a bachelor-level clinician and marriage and family therapist intern at Twin Lakes Counseling. She is supervised by Danielle Scarsella-Gonia, LMFT (LF60835868; NPI number 1740653120).
