PuttingFamilyFirst

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MD Portrait of Marilyn Bryan DeBernardo
Online therapist

Marilyn Bryan DeBernardo

Practical support for family and life challenges

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Credentials
LMHC
Experience
25 years
Licensed in
New York
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Marilyn

Marilyn Bryan DeBernardo is a licensed mental health counselor in New York. She has 25 years of experience and focuses on family and parenting concerns along with addiction and mood-related issues. She talks plainly and aims to help people manage stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and relationship difficulties.

Many people come to her looking for practical ways to cope and restore balance. Marilyn uses approaches that teach skills and change unhelpful patterns.

Background and approach

She draws from cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and emotionally focused methods when appropriate. Sessions emphasize clear goals, real-world practice, and steady support between visits. Her background includes long experience treating substance use and co-occurring mental health concerns, codependency, trauma, and loss.

She also addresses parenting worries, intimacy questions, and life transitions. Clients can expect collaborative problem-solving and steps they can try at home. Marilyn works with adults and family members who are navigating addiction, mood symptoms, or major life changes.

She helps people sort priorities, repair communication, and build coping strategies. The work is practical and paced to each person’s needs. Based in New York, Marilyn brings decades of clinical work to sessions.

She helps people find resources and next steps when situations feel overwhelming. The goal is clearer choices and better day-to-day functioning.

Evidence-informed approaches and flexible online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings while focusing on actions that matter to them. It can be useful for chronic stress, anxiety, and life changes when someone wants clearer priorities and workable steps. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches specific strategies to change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns, often used for anxiety, depression, and coping skills. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) concentrates on emotions and connection, which can help when relationship patterns or family interactions feel stuck.

Choosing the right method is part of the work. Marilyn will collaborate with each person to identify goals and try approaches that fit those goals and preferences. If something does not help, she adjusts the plan together with the client so progress can feel steady and relevant.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which add flexibility for busy households and varied schedules. These formats make it easier to keep regular contact, practice skills between sessions, and bring real-life situations into the conversation. For many people, remote sessions reduce travel time and make it simpler to maintain momentum while balancing family responsibilities.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Less about arguing with difficult thoughts, more about loosening their grip and acting on what matters to you anyway. Values and committed action carry the work, which suits conversation at a distance.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Marilyn address?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship and family issues, grief, depression, trauma, parenting concerns, and related areas listed in her profile.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her approach is collaborative and skill-based, using brief teaching, practice assignments, and conversation to help people change patterns and cope more effectively.
How long has she been practicing?
She has 25 years of clinical experience working with adults and family members on addiction and mental health concerns.
Where is Marilyn licensed and located?
She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor - LMHC - practicing in New York with the license number NY LMHC 002250-1.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and she also accepts international clients.
What formats are available for sessions?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging as ways to meet with clients.
How are sessions paid for?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to the therapist's availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
25 years
Licensed
New York
Languages
English

Next step

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