Marissa Dean

Marissa Dean is a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with five years of clinical experience. She works with adults on concerns such as stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship strain, coping with life changes, grief, sleep problems, parenting struggles, depression, bipolar mood concerns, and questions of life purpose.

Her sessions use a client-centered stance that prioritizes what the person brings to each meeting. She blends talk therapy with body-focused work and psychodynamic ideas to look at how past experiences shape present behavior. That mix is aimed at helping clients understand patterns, manage overwhelming feelings, and make clearer choices.

Marissa incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), mindfulness, and somatic techniques where they fit the client’s goals. Conversations often include practical skills for managing anxiety, grounding practices for dissociation, and strategies for changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors.

She also has experience integrating Christian-based perspectives when clients ask to include faith, prayer, or scripture as part of therapy. That option is discussed and used only if the client wants it.

People who work with Marissa can expect collaborative sessions that look at thoughts, body sensations, and relationship patterns. She helps people clarify values, address family of origin issues, and work on self-esteem, communication, and smoking or vaping cessation when relevant.

Therapeutic approaches and online sessions

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and responding to what the client brings. It emphasizes the person's own goals and perspective and works well for people who want a collaborative, respectful approach to figuring out next steps.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It offers concrete tools to reduce anxiety, change unhelpful thinking patterns, and address mood-related symptoms.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, teaches skills for handling strong emotions and improving interpersonal effectiveness. It can help with regulation, distress tolerance, and clearer communication in strained relationships.

Choosing the right approach is a joint process. The therapist will talk with the client about their needs, preferences, and goals, and then recommend methods to try. That plan can change as sessions progress, with adjustments based on what helps most.

Confirm the available session formats before booking so you know how meetings are arranged. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, shorten commute time, and allow sessions that focus on brief check-ins or longer therapeutic work without travel. Ask about formats and scheduling when you complete the matching questionnaire so sessions fit daily life.