LMFT, 4 years of experience
Hi! I’m Marilu Lemos, a therapist with an eclectic approach who frequently uses CBT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing, and Solution-Focused techniques. I’m passionate about tailoring therapy to each client’s unique needs to help them overcome challenges and achieve lasting positive change. My style is collaborative, compassionate, and empowering—I aim to create a safe space where clients feel truly heard, supported, and encouraged to grow. I believe that healing begins with a strong therapeutic relationship and a willingness to explore what’s getting in the way of living life fully. I work with clients to build insight, develop coping strategies, and take meaningful steps toward their goals. I’m excited about the opportunity to join Grow Therapy and to support clients on their healing journeys with care, respect, and accountability.
In our first session, you can expect a warm and welcoming space to begin your therapy journey. I’ll ask a lot of questions to better understand your background, current challenges, and goals. This helps me get a full picture of who you are and what you need from therapy. Together, we’ll begin to build a treatment plan that’s tailored specifically to you. My goal is to support you in a way that feels helpful, collaborative, and empowering.
My greatest strengths as a therapist include being empowering and encouraging, while also holding space for accountability and growth. I actively listen and offer supportive reflections to help you feel seen, heard, and safe during our sessions. I believe in your ability to change and will walk alongside you as you work toward your goals. My approach is both compassionate and goal-oriented, helping you stay focused and motivated on your healing journey. I'm here to support your progress every step of the way.
I work with most populations who are open and ready to engage in their healing journey. I especially support clients experiencing symptoms or challenges that prevent them from fully enjoying life. Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, depression, stress, or relationship struggles, I’m here to help you overcome these barriers and move toward greater well-being and fulfillment.
I use CBT to help clients identify their automatic negative thoughts and cognitive distortions—the biased or unhelpful thinking patterns that contribute to their emotional difficulties. Together, we work on recognizing these thoughts, challenging their accuracy, and reframing them into more balanced and positive perspectives. This process empowers clients to create healthier emotional responses and more constructive behaviors, leading to better outcomes in their daily lives.
I use DBT as a complementary approach to CBT to help clients better regulate their emotions, develop distress tolerance skills, reduce stress, and improve communication and relationships. By combining the cognitive restructuring focus of CBT with DBT’s practical emotion management and interpersonal effectiveness techniques, I support clients in building resilience and fostering healthier connections with others.
I use Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy to help clients identify and understand the different parts of themselves. By fostering a compassionate relationship with these parts, clients can heal internal conflicts, reduce emotional pain, and regain balance and self-leadership.
I use Motivational Interviewing (MI) to help clients explore and resolve ambivalence about change. By using empathetic listening and guided questions, I support clients in finding their own motivation and confidence to make positive, lasting changes in their lives.