Marissa Dean

Marissa Dean is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) who supports people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship struggles, grief, depression, bipolar mood concerns, sleep problems, and parenting challenges. She also helps with issues around self-esteem, body image, attachment, and navigating life changes. Marissa practices in California and carries five years of clinical experience.

Her approach is calm and practical. Sessions focus on helping people notice what they feel in their body and mind, and then try small changes that fit their life. She blends mindfulness practices with client-centered conversation to help people build awareness and steady coping skills.

Marissa also uses elements of cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy to address unhelpful thinking and teach emotion-regulation tools. Psychodynamic ideas inform deeper conversations about patterns that started earlier in life. These methods are mixed to match what each person needs.

When faith is important, Marissa can include Christian-based counseling elements such as prayer or scripture, tailoring that to the person’s preference. She aims to create a respectful space for different beliefs while focusing on concrete steps forward.

People who work with Marissa can expect collaborative goal setting, practical skills practice, and attention to both physical sensations and thoughts. She helps people build routines and coping strategies that make daily life easier and more manageable.

How mindfulness and skills work in online therapy

Marissa often draws on Mindfulness Therapy to help people notice thoughts and body sensations without judgment, which can reduce reactivity and improve sleep and mood. She also uses Client-Centered Therapy that emphasizes listening, empathy, and following the person’s lead to set goals that matter to them. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and practice concrete behavior changes to reduce anxiety and manage cravings.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the process. Marissa works collaboratively to decide which methods fit a person’s needs, goals, and preferences. She checks in regularly and adjusts methods so the work feels useful and manageable.

Session format options are not listed in the biography, so confirm current session options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow for quicker check-ins when needed. Some methods, like mindfulness practice or CBT skill work, adapt well to remote sessions and can be practiced between meetings to reinforce progress.