Marissa Dean, LMFT

Marissa Dean is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) practicing in California with five years of clinical experience. She works with adults on stress, anxiety, addictions, relationships, coping with life changes, grief, sleep problems, parenting concerns, mood disorders such as depression and bipolar, and issues related to LGBT identity. Marissa also lists family of origin issues, attachment concerns, and body image among her focuses.

Her approach is client-centered and collaborative. Sessions focus on understanding how early family patterns and attachment shapes current behavior. She uses talk-based work alongside body-focused techniques to notice how emotions show up physically.

Marissa draws on psychodynamic ideas to look at long-standing patterns rooted in family relationships. She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify and shift unhelpful thinking, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills for managing intense emotions. Mindfulness practices and somatic techniques are included when they fit the client’s goals.

She can work with people who want to include faith in therapy; this may involve prayer or scripture when the client requests it. Marissa emphasizes practical skills for day-to-day life, like improving communication, sleep routines, and coping tools for cravings or mood swings.

Clients can expect straightforward conversation about patterns originating in childhood and clear strategies to try between sessions. The work tends to balance deeper exploration of family influences with hands-on behavioral skills that apply to daily life.

Therapeutic approaches and how they work online