Introduction Letter
Dear YOU,
I am writing to the one searching for help. The one struggling with understanding what is the point in life. Going through the motions day in and day out but wondering when their life will begin. “When will I truly be happy, when will I feel fulfilled? How do I find my purpose in life?” You, the person trying so hard to please everyone around you but feeling like you’re always coming up short. No matter how hard you try you can never convince the harshest critic inside that you are enough.
Maybe it’s depression. Maybe you’ve been feeling this way as long as you can remember, or you really struggle to remember when you felt happy last. If you’re reading this, you’re considering if counseling could be helpful to you? “Maybe I need someone to talk to, someone who understands what I’m going through. I need someone to hear me and tell me I’m not crazy. I don’t want to be in this alone anymore.” It’s okay to ask for help and it’s okay to feel like you aren’t alright. It is normal to contemplate life and death. “Maybe I”d be better off dead. Everyone would be happier if I was gone. No one will notice. I’m such a burden to everyone around me.” These are thoughts I hear from people every single day. Suicide can be seen as a way out of the darkness. A way to escape the pain that you don’t know how to address. Pain you’re barely aware of and aren’t sure how to put into words. “How do I even ask for help?”
Therapy is a way into the light. Together in a therapeutic relationship we can unmask your demons, identify your feelings, and learn to express what’s really going on inside.
My name is Marisa and I am passionate about helping others walk back from the ledge and into the light again. Through unconditional positive regard and genuine care I will sit with you and walk through the darkness until we find out way back to the light. I love talking about life and death and suicide. I find joy in the pain, and embrace the beauty of the deep raw emotions humans are able to feel. It is a gift this depth of feeling that you have. The fact that you are able to experience life to such an intense degree is a super power. I will help you recognize your emotions, challenge your negative thought patterns, and embrace the natural gifts you were given in this lifetime by your ability to feel. Together we can figure out what gives you meaning, purpose, and joy in life and come up with a plan to set you up for success.
I will admit I am a bit of a biohacker and I love to optimize life. I want to help you hack your own life and thought patterns to be the most successful person you can be. And I measure success in happiness, not in accomplishments. We need to strive to be content! How can I help you learn to enjoy the little moments in life and appreciate every small token of happiness you are given? I don’t share these things from some pedestal way up high, thinking I have mastered life. I am a human too. I understand what you’re going through because I have been there. I know what it is like to go and go and go, never stopping to smell the roses only to reach your destination and think “now what?” I have been on a long slow journey in self-care and self-love, and it is a journey I am passionate about sharing with others. As I am learning to slow down and experience more of life I want to help you also begin to live a more authentic, present lifestyle that gives you back just as much as you put into it.
So to sum it up, YOU are:
-wanting help
-looking for meaning and purpose in life
-possibly depressed
-having thoughts of suicide
-working hard yet unsatisfied with your life
And I am:
-crazy about feelings
-motivated to help you
-authentic and honest
-also a human
-a trained helping professional
And if that wasn’t enough, I am a Licensed Mental Health Therapist in the state of Washington. I have a private practice located in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. I got my Master’s degree from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon in Professional Mental Health Counseling. Through that program I was fully trained in counseling skills and educated on current treatment modalities and theories including, attachment, emotion focused therapy, family systems, solution focused and cognitive behavioral therapies. In my previous work I deepened my skills using CBT, that I now use in my work along with a focus on feelings, emotions, and strength based counseling. Throughout the years post-grad I have continued to take continuing education and develop my knowledge through workshops and seminars, including many intuitive and spiritual based practices.
It is my hope that we can work together to help you find meaning and enjoy living again. Please reach out if you would like to know more or get started on this journey together.