01 · Who Marissa works with

Marissa works with stress, Anxiety, LGBT and trauma and abuse

Marissa lists 15 specialisms. Specialisms are the subjects Marissa chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Marissa's own words

What Marissa says about the work

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

I am a licensed professional counselor and have worked in and with various populations and settings of the mental health field. I describe my treatment approach client directive as I believe people are in control of their own lives. I prefer to use and focus on trans-theoretical models of solution focus behavioral therapy, cognitive recovery oriented therapy, motivational interviewing, and embracing change therapy. I have a passion to help individuals who are ready to get back to themselves as I believe everyone has the capacity to find their own truth, challenge negative belief systems, and learn more about their capabilities. My specialities range in treating individuals who have difficulty with cultural and gender identity challenges, adjustment issues, depression, anxiety, neurodevelopmental needs, and life stage changes.

I look forward to taking that next step with you!

Marissa Herrera, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Marissa works

The 5 approaches Marissa lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Marissa lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Marissa'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 Marissa runs a session.

Acceptance and Commitment TherapyACT

Rather than trying to argue a painful thought away, ACT works on loosening its grip and getting on with what matters to you anyway. Sessions spend real time naming your values, then building action around them while difficult feelings are still present.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and ReprocessingEMDR

A structured trauma protocol in which you hold a distressing memory in mind while following a repeated side-to-side cue. The mechanism is still debated; the outcome data in post-traumatic stress is strong enough that it appears in national treatment guidelines.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

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

Marissa 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 Marissa'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 Marissa at this point.

2. Naming Marissa specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Marissa 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 Marissa.

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

2 questions worth asking Marissa

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

• “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.

• “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

LPC

Licensed in

Georgia

Licence

GA LPC LPC010560

Licence number

LPC010560

Licence expires

30 Sep 2028

NPI

1982172417

Years in practice

8

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Marissa'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 Marissa. 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.