- ACT
- CBT
- Client-centered
About Marissa
Marissa Katz Bellani is an MA, Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) practicing in Hawaii with eight years of experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, relationship challenges, grief, depression, addictions, trauma and abuse, and issues around intimacy and self-esteem. She also helps people dealing with guilt and shame and navigating life changes.
Her approach mixes practical talk therapy with attention to values and mindful awareness. She draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice thoughts and choose actions that matter to them. She also uses client-centered methods to keep the work focused on each person's experience.
Sessions are conversational and interactive. Marissa invites people to reflect on patterns that keep them feeling stuck and to try new skills between sessions. She aims for clear, manageable steps rather than complex theory. Music and expressive arts appear in her background and may influence how she approaches creative ways of noticing feeling and meaning.
She has an MA and holds the LMHC credential in Hawaii. She has worked in several clinical settings and brings eight years of combined internship and post-graduate experience to her practice. She accepts international clients and conducts sessions in English.
If someone wants to start, the usual first step is a short matching questionnaire and scheduling a session. Marissa notes that costs vary by location and that services use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How her approaches translate to online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on noticing painful thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then choosing actions that match personal values. It can help when guilt or shame leads to avoidance or repeated self-criticism.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and teaches practical skills to shift unhelpful patterns. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and persistent shame-related thinking.
Client-centered therapy prioritizes the person's perspective, using reflective listening and open conversation to clarify what matters to them. This approach can make discussions about regret, identity, and forgiveness feel more grounded.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what feels useful, then together decide which methods to try. That decision is revisited as progress and needs change.
The biography indicates online therapy is offered for Hawaii clients, so confirm the currently supported session formats before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a day, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. They also let people try sessions without being on camera or with a simpler audio setup, depending on what works best for them.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
8+ years
Listed in
Massachusetts, Hawaii
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she work with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship and family issues, grief, depression, addictions, trauma, intimacy concerns, self-esteem, bipolar disorder, and coping with life changes. Guilt and shame are listed among her focus areas.
How does she approach feelings of guilt or shame?
She uses approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and client-centered work to help people notice painful thoughts, clarify personal values, and take small steps aligned with what matters. Sessions are conversational and skill-oriented.
What is her clinical background and experience?
She has eight years of combined internship and work experience and holds an MA and the LMHC credential. Her background includes expressive arts training that may inform some sessions.
Where is she licensed and practicing?
She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Hawaii and practices with that credential.
Which languages and international clients are supported?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original biography notes online therapy for Hawaii clients; confirm current session options before booking to be sure of formats and locations served.
How does cost work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.