About Marisa
Marisa Schaff is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in Washington who helps people navigate stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship trouble, trauma, grief, and life transitions. She takes a straightforward, down-to-earth approach and focuses on practical steps people can use between sessions. Marisa aims to make therapy feel constructive and sometimes even light when appropriate.
She began her career supporting people with substance use concerns in 2010 and discovered how often substance issues overlap with other mental health struggles.
How Marisa works
Marisa completed a Master of Social Work at the University of Denver with a family systems focus and pursued additional training in family therapy. Her background includes work in drug court and residential programs for pregnant and postpartum women. Marisa blends several evidence-informed approaches to fit each person she sees.
She uses cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and behavioral strategies to change them. Dialectical behavior ideas help with emotion regulation and coping skills, and EMDR is an option for processing traumatic memories when appropriate. Her style centers on people’s strengths and supports goal-focused work.
She uses motivational approaches to help people find reasons to change and mindfulness strategies to reduce stress. Marisa also pays attention to family dynamics, attachment and patterns that repeat across relationships. Sessions are offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
She has ten years of practice experience and works in English from Washington.
Marisa lists 8 ways of working on the entry:
What Marisa works with
The areas below are the ones Marisa selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
Also listed
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Trauma and abuse
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Women's issues
Training and background
| Register | LICSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 10 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Washington |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Approaches that translate well to online care
Marisa commonly draws on cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy to address patterns of thinking and build practical skills. CBT focuses on spotting and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors to reduce anxiety and depression. DBT emphasizes emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness which can help when stress or intense emotions get in the way of daily life.She also uses EMDR to process traumatic memories when that approach fits a person’s needs. EMDR involves guided attention and memory work to reduce the emotional charge of traumatic events and can be offered remotely when appropriate for the client’s situation.
Finding the right approach is a team effort. Marisa works with each person to decide which methods match their goals, comfort level, and life situation. She adjusts techniques over time as progress and preferences become clearer.
Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video allows face-to-face conversation and skills demonstrations. Phone sessions can be a good choice when bandwidth or screen time is an issue. Live chat or messaging supports brief check-ins, written reflections, or more frequent touchpoints between longer sessions. These formats make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules and to continue care across changing routines.
Start online instead of waiting
Our partner service asks a few questions about what you are looking for and matches you with a therapist for sessions from home.
Explore online therapy optionsWe will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.
Common questions
What concerns does Marisa address?
What is her therapeutic style like?
What background does she bring to therapy?
What credentials and location are listed?
Which languages and countries are supported?
What session formats are available?
How are costs and billing handled?
How do I begin working with her?
A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you. Entries are not assessed or endorsed by this directory.
Other entries for stress, anxiety
Supportive LCSW helping people build strength and clarity
Practical, trauma-aware therapy for everyday life
Practical, relational therapy for life transitions