About Marissa
Marissa Alvarez is a licensed master social worker (LMSW) based in Michigan who helps people dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, intimacy concerns, and ADHD. Marissa also supports clients navigating LGBT issues and struggles tied to body image, chronic illness, and gender dysphoria.
The first conversations focus on what brought each person in and practical next steps they can try right away. Marissa keeps sessions straightforward and collaborative. She draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques and aims to build coping skills that fit into daily life.
Background and approach
Sessions are meant to be a place to talk through how past experiences affect current relationships and routines. With five years of clinical experience, Marissa brings a steady, thoughtful style to sessions. She pays attention to how attachment, family of origin, and co-occurring issues show up for each person.
This helps tailor work to individual needs rather than using a one-size-fits-all plan. People who see Marissa often work on communication problems, codependency, eating and food-related issues, and navigating kink or alternative sex culture. She also supports those coping with chronic pain, fertility concerns, and guilt or shame that block daily functioning.
Sessions are offered in English and are delivered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Marissa provides practical guidance and ongoing check-ins to help people move toward the goals they identify together.
Evidence-based approaches and online care
Marissa draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on practical change and emotional understanding. One approach centers on trauma-focused work that helps people identify how past wounds affect current feelings and behaviors; it is often used to reduce the intensity of traumatic memories and improve daily functioning. Another common thread is methods that explore internal parts and roles within a person so they can better understand conflicting feelings and respond with more self-compassion.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Marissa will work with each person to choose techniques that match their goals, needs, and preferences. Together they review what seems to help and adjust the plan as progress is made.
Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls allow fuller face-to-face conversation and nonverbal cues. Phone sessions can fit into a short break and use less bandwidth. Live chat and text work well for quick check-ins, written reflection, or people who prefer typing to speaking. These formats offer flexibility so therapy can fit work, caregiving, and daily life.
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What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- ADHD
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Body image
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Eating and food-related issues
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fertility issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Immigration issues
- Intimacy-related issues
- Life purpose
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Young adult issues
- Experience
- 5 years
- Licensed
- Michigan
- Languages
- English
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