About Marisa
Marisa Schaff is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) based in Washington who helps people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, relationship struggles, grief, and ADHD. She brings ten years of clinical experience and a practical, hopeful style to sessions. Marisa uses straightforward talk, focused tools, and a sense of humor when it fits the moment.
She began in substance abuse counseling in 2010 and later earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Denver with a concentration in family systems.
Background and approach
While in school she completed coursework on military culture and a post-graduate program at the Denver Family Institute focused on marriage and family therapy. Marisa has worked in settings ranging from drug court to residential programs for pregnant and postpartum women. That variety shaped her comfort with addiction, trauma, mood disorders, and complex family issues.
She draws on practical techniques to help people manage symptoms and move toward clearer goals. Her style centers on strengths and collaboration. Sessions mix skill-building from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy with motivational interviewing and mindfulness practices as needed.
EMDR is also among the approaches she may use for trauma-related work. Marisa aims to tailor the plan to each person’s needs and to make therapy feel productive and hopeful. She offers evening and some weekend appointments to fit different schedules.
Therapeutic approaches and how online sessions help
Marisa commonly uses cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy in her online work. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and testing new actions to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. Dialectical behavior therapy teaches concrete skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and better communication when feelings feel overwhelming.She also integrates EMDR for people dealing with trauma. EMDR uses guided attention and processing to help reduce the intensity of painful memories and reactions when trauma is central to someone's struggles. The therapist and client discuss whether this approach fits the goals before using it.
Finding the right mix of approaches is a collaborative process. Marisa works with each person to set goals, try techniques, and adjust the plan based on what helps. She explains options plainly and prioritizes methods that match the client's needs and preferences.
Online sessions offer flexible ways to get support. Video calls let people use visuals for interactive skill work, phone sessions can be a good fit when bandwidth is limited, and live chat or text messaging works for brief check-ins or written reflection. These formats make it easier to schedule sessions during evenings or weekends and to keep continuity when life is busy.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
Also listed
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Trauma and abuse
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Women's issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 10 years
- Licensed
- Washington
- Languages
- English
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