Originally from the Bay Area, Marissa moved to rural Nevada in grade school and has lived in Nevada most of her life. After graduating from high school, Marissa moved to Reno, Nevada to pursue her education and due to her love for the area, Marissa has resided in the Reno area ever since. She graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Nevada, Reno. During her schooling at the University, Marissa obtained experience working with adolescents and their families via Washoe County School District and working with the substance use population in residential and outpatient settings. Additionally, Marissa has inpatient experience treating clients with substance use disorders, mood disorders, and other mental health disorders. Marissa has a particular passion and experience treating anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorders.
Recently, Marissa completed her clinical internship and completed training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy at Healing Minds. Marissa has a person-centered approach and believes in meeting the client where they are at. Marissa balances acceptance and change in sessions by both validating and challenging clients while also incorporating compassion, empathy, genuineness, and humor. Marissa uses a unique blend of approaches including dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, solution-focused therapy, and family systems work.