01 · Who Marilyn works with

Marilyn works with stress, Anxiety, addictions and relationship issues

Marilyn lists 20 specialisms and 35 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Marilyn chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Marilyn's own words

What Marilyn says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

As a licensed therapist with three decades of experience, I specialize in supporting individuals navigating complex life transitions and emotional challenges. My practice focuses on helping clients address stress, anxiety, depression, relationship dynamics, and personal growth, with particular expertise in supporting adults through significant life stages.

I bring a compassionate and nuanced approach to therapy, drawing from extensive clinical experience to help individuals work through issues like isolation, grief, body image concerns, and workplace challenges. My therapeutic style emphasizes understanding each person's unique journey, with a deep commitment to supporting clients in rediscovering purpose, managing shame and guilt, and developing healthier emotional patterns.

My work centers on creating a supportive environment where clients can explore difficult emotions, heal from past experiences, and develop meaningful strategies for personal transformation. I am dedicated to walking alongside individuals as they build resilience, self-understanding, and renewed hope.

Marilyn Brodersen, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Marilyn works

The 2 approaches Marilyn lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Marilyn lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Marilyn's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Marilyn runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Marilyn practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Marilyn's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Marilyn at this point.

2. Naming Marilyn specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Marilyn is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Marilyn.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Marilyn

Built from what Marilyn actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Marilyn's - Marilyn has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 35 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LMFT

Licensed in

California

Licence

CA LMFT 8930

Licence number

8930

Licence expires

30 Apr 2027

NPI

1942047352

Years in practice

35

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Marilyn's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Marilyn. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.