Therapy for Transformation

Helping survivors of trauma to break free from their pasts, reconnect with themselves, and finally feel safe again.

When was the last time you felt safe? When you could really relax, and not worry about anything?

Sometimes, the impacts of trauma are clear. The fear, panic attacks, feeling jumpy all the time… the constant tension, the nightmares… Memories from the past haunt you, and make you feel scared in ways that seem impossible to shake. Maybe you know what you’re dealing with, or even have a diagnosis of PTSD. Maybe you have known for a while, and have tried to help yourself without success. If this is you, it can be hard to believe that you can feel better, that you aren’t broken beyond repair. It’s hard to believe that trauma therapy really does work, when you’ve been let down so many times.

**There are ways to heal this pain. I can help you do it.**

Trauma also has the ability to steal our peace in ways that people often aren’t aware of. For example, it can make you feel like to have to be perfect, or else something really bad will happen. It convinces you that you are unlovable, so you hide parts of your personality from others to “fit in” and gain their approval. It makes you believe that you have to always “keep it together,” to not let yourself be vulnerable around others. It can make it hard to speak up for yourself and set boundaries, because you believe that you would be selfish to expect anything from anyone else. It drives you to serve others while ultimately neglecting yourself. It can even make your body feel pain or fall ill.

The stories behind feelings like these can be more complicated to untangle, because the traumas you have lived through are harder to pinpoint. It wasn’t one big event, but a series of thousands that took place over many years. Sometimes it wasn’t what happened, but what didn’t happen, that hurts the most. I hear from people all the time that they don’t think their experiences should “count” as trauma, that it “wasn’t that bad.” They wonder why they feel so much pain and anxiety and can’t make sense of it. They often think that they’re just “too sensitive” and “need to get over it.” You aren’t, and you don’t.

Your story is important. I welcome you to share it with me.

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Photo credit: Maya Benko

Hi! I’m Marisa.

(she/hers)

I have over a decade of experience as a therapist providing services to clients experiencing the effects of trauma and abuse, oppression, severe and persistent mental illnesses, and personality disorders. Although many of the stories I have heard over the years are heartbreaking, over and over I have been privileged to witness incredible growth and transformation. This is what I love about being a trauma therapist! I have been fortunate to work with individuals of diverse identities, cultural backgrounds, and neurotypes. I sincerely love what I do, and feel lucky to be in a career that I am passionate about!

I received my Master of Social Work from the University of Denver in 2013, as well as a certificate in Animal Assisted Social Work. I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Ego State and Internal Family Systems therapy (IFS). I’m a bit of a therapy nerd, and am always eager to learn more and hone my craft.

Click below to learn more about my background and style.

About Page

You are welcome here.

I am committed to cultivating an environment that supports inclusivity and respect of all people regardless of race, color, culture, religion, spiritual practice, sex, gender identity or expression, body size, age, socioeconomic status, neurotype, sexual orientation, relationship status or configuration, national origin or physical and mental abilities. I am committed to actively working on myself, examining and combatting attitudes and beliefs that have seeped into my consciousness about all forms of “difference.” If I screw up, I invite you to call me on it, and help me confront the work that I have yet to do.

Specialties

Depression

Depression is often flip-side of anxiety. If you find that you go back and forth between feeling stressed out, nervous or overwhelmed, and feeling depressed, checked out, or like you can't get going, you're not alone. We can work on helping you balance your mood by addressing the wounds that underly those feelings.
Relational Trauma and Complex PTSD

People-pleasing, hyper-independence, never trusting others fully, struggling to set boundaries... If it is hard to connect with others and maintain healthy relationships, chances are something went wrong with your relationships earlier in life. These experiences are often signs of relational trauma. We can explore new ways to build and maintain healthy relationships.
EMDR

EMDR is a powerful tool for re-regulating your nervous system, and can heal trauma on a deep level, to where you actually feel calm, actually feel safe instead of trying to convince yourself to feel that way. It can also be used for addressing other forms of distress like generalized anxiety, grief, personality disorders, chronic pain, and more.
Women's Mental Health

Women, trans, and nonbinary folx face unique mental health challenges due to living in a society that does not treat us as equal to men. In our work together, we can discuss the ways that this environment has impacted you, and work towards loving yourself enough to say "no" to being devalued wherever possible.