With over 40 years' simultaneous experience as a therapist and social worker, I offer practice knowledge combined with working-class life experience. Your change goals will guide our work together. My job is to suggest different choices in the way you think and act in the areas of your life where you are experiencing discomfort. My style is a very warm yet direct one: Once you are comfortable with me, I won't hesitate to point-out ways in which you might unknowingly self sabotage or contribute to your stated problems. There will be alternatives suggested, and you are free to try-on new behavior patterns which align with your values and lifestyle. Change can be scary; it can also greatly improve your life's quality. For most of my career, I've offered counseling in-person while simultaneously working in social work, where I provided more concrete services. Now that I've made the decision to work from home and only part-time, I'm excited to solely focus on offering therapy services fully online.

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

Our first session will be an opportunity for you, the client, to evaluate your ability to "open up" to me. As therapist, I will find out what issue(s) brought you to counseling; and what your behavior change goals might be at this starting point. And there needs to be some history-taking, so that I can begin to understand some of the challenges that define your life.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

My guiding framework is the individual within the context of every type of relationship they have, including intimate, professional and social. I strive to help you fully examine what's not working well for you, then, your change goals will guide our work together. I have been "in the trenches" myself, dealing with the behavioral health system as a consumer; and I appreciate the difficulties both an individual and their families face dealing with these challenges, and finding good, responsive care. As a therapist, I've been blessed that so many women who have had extensive trauma have opened up to me rather quickly. Finally, I have been told that I come across as "maternal" in a good, warm and nurturing way-- that makes me smile!

About Marion Bergman