PuttingFamilyFirst

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MO Portrait of Marissa O'Connor
Online therapist

Marissa O'Connor

Experienced family-focused support

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Credentials
LCSW
Experience
7 years
Licensed in
New York
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Marissa

Marissa O'Connor is a licensed clinical social worker who supports parents and families managing stress, anxiety, parenting challenges, grief, and trauma. She draws on seven years of experience to help people handle depression, relationship strain, sleep or eating concerns, ADHD, and burnout. Her style is straightforward and calm, aimed at practical changes you can use day to day.

She approaches sessions with a strengths-based, client-centered attitude. That means she listens first, then helps you set clear goals.

Background and approach

She uses tools from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy when helpful. Mindfulness and motivational interviewing also appear in her work to boost motivation and present-moment coping. Marissa adapts interventions to each family and individual.

Sessions focus on skills you can try between meetings, like stress-management strategies, communication practices, and routines for better sleep and eating. Parents often get concrete tools to use with children and teens. Her background includes direct work with adults, adolescents, children, couples, and families.

That range gives her experience with common family dynamics and transitions. She frames therapy as a collaborative effort rather than a lecture. Marissa practices in New York and conducts sessions in English.

She holds the LCSW credential - licensed clinical social worker - and brings a supportive, nonjudgmental approach to each meeting. The focus is on steady, manageable change over time.

How Marissa blends therapy approaches online

Marissa often uses client-centered therapy to make space for each person to describe their priorities. That approach focuses on listening closely and meeting the person where they are, which helps when sorting out family or parenting goals.

She also draws on cognitive behavioral therapy, which breaks down thoughts and behaviors into manageable steps. CBT is useful for anxiety, depression, sleep and eating problems, and for building clear coping skills that parents can use right away.

Dialectical behavior therapy influences her work with emotion regulation and distress tolerance. DBT-based skills are practical for managing anger, impulsivity, and intense emotional moments in family life.

Finding the right approach is part of the process, and the therapist treats it as a team effort. She will talk with clients about needs, goals, and what feels most useful, then adjust methods as progress unfolds.

Online sessions offer flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. That range makes it easier to keep therapy consistent around busy family schedules, to check in between meetings, and to use tools in real time during daily life.

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.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Concrete skills for riding out strong emotion, tolerating distress, and handling relationships without things escalating. The skills are practised in daily life, so between-session support by message or phone fits naturally.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does this therapist commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, parenting challenges, relationship issues, grief, eating and sleeping problems, anger, ADHD, and compassion fatigue among other areas.
What is the general style or approach in sessions?
Sessions are collaborative and grounded in a strengths-based, client-centered style. The focus is on listening first, setting goals, and practicing usable skills between meetings.
How much clinical experience does the therapist have?
The therapist has seven years of clinical experience working with adults, adolescents, children, couples, and families.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is an LCSW - licensed clinical social worker - with license number NY LCSW 091115 and practices in New York.
Which languages and international options are available?
Sessions are offered in English, and international clients are not currently accepted.
Which session formats are offered?
Appointments can be conducted via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs.
How does pricing and payment work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are delivered through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What is the first step to begin working together?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
7 years
Licensed
New York
Languages
English

Next step

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