Marissa Alvidrez
Hi, I’m Marissa! I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who believes therapy can be meaningful without feeling stiff or overly clinical. I work with adults, couples, and families navigating anxiety, ADHD, grief, trauma, relationships, life transitions, and the general messiness of being human. My style is warm, down-to-earth, and collaborative, with plenty of room for humor, honesty, and those “wait…that actually makes so much sense” moments.
First session
Your first session is all about getting to know you—not putting you on the spot! We’ll talk about what brought you to therapy, what’s been feeling difficult, and what you’d like to be different. You’ll leave with a clearer idea of what we can work on together and what our next steps might look like.
Strengths
I’m not a “sit back, nod, and ask how that makes you feel for 50 minutes” kind of therapist. I’m engaged, curious, and genuinely myself in session. I’ll ask questions, help you notice patterns, challenge you when it’s helpful, celebrate your wins, and probably make you laugh along the way. I’m especially good at taking complicated emotions or relationship dynamics and helping make them feel understandable and workable. Therapy with me is collaborative—we’re figuring it out together, not pretending I have a magical therapist answer key.
Ideal clients
My ideal client doesn’t have to have everything figured out—in fact, most of us don’t! You might know exactly what you want to work on, or you might just know that something feels off and you’re tired of doing the same thing over and over. I enjoy working with people who are curious about themselves and ready to understand their patterns, relationships, emotions, or experiences a little differently. Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, ADHD, grief, relationship struggles, a major life change, or simply trying to figure out what you actually want, we can start wherever you are. You bring your story; I’ll bring the questions, support, honesty, and probably a little humor.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT helps us look at the connection between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. I use it to help you recognize patterns that may be keeping you stuck, challenge thoughts that aren’t serving you, and practice new ways of responding. We’re not just going to tell you to “think positive”—we’ll actually look at what’s happening and figure out what feels realistic and helpful.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
Sometimes the goal isn’t to make an uncomfortable thought or feeling disappear—it’s learning how to stop letting it run the show. I use ACT to help you make room for difficult emotions, get clear about what actually matters to you, and make choices that move you toward the life and relationships you want.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
You are more than the hardest things you’ve experienced or the symptoms that brought you to therapy. I’ll help you recognize the strengths, skills, resilience, and resources you already have—even when you’re having a hard time seeing them yourself—and learn how to use them more intentionally. You’re the expert on your life; I just happen to know a lot about therapy. I bring curiosity, warmth, honesty, and support while giving you room to show up as yourself. Our work is collaborative, which means therapy is something we do together—not something I do to you.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Especially when working with couples, I use EFT to help us look underneath the argument. Instead of getting stuck on who said what or who started it, we explore the emotions, attachment needs, and patterns driving the conflict. The goal is to help you understand each other differently and build a stronger sense of connection and security.
Trauma Informed Care
Change can be complicated, especially when part of you wants something different and another part isn’t quite ready. I use motivational interviewing to help you explore that ambivalence without pressure or judgment. Instead of telling you what you “should” do, we’ll figure out what matters to you and what change might realistically look like.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Other specialties
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Licensed in
- CaliforniaLicense 142685