Marianne Lopez

Highlights

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
I really try to be flexible in a "bend, don't break" kind of way in therapy. This means I am looking to work where people are most motivated, excited, or needing change first. Lots of great therapists address concerns in the way that they think makes the most sense and try to bring along folks for the ride. I try to have real discussions about how you see change and then how I can help facilitate it. I want to help you develop YOUR toolbox with the goals, plans, skills, and self-concept to meet your needs long after we stop our work together.
 
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
In terms of treatment, I pull from a variety of modalities and theories, mostly cognitive behavioral (figuring out how we think of things and then how to think about it in a more helpful way), mindfulness practice (relaxation), and "general" talk therapy to help us figure out what's going on, why you're feeling like you need support, and how we can get you back on track. My approach is collaborative and honest to move at whatever pace you're comfortable with, while also challenging you to grow and evolve during the process. I want to be more than a "friendly listener" because I believe that your resources, most importantly your time, are important and I want to respect that to best do my job for you. I tend to be solution focused and might recommend reading a book or checking out an app.
 
Explain to clients what you feel are your biggest strengths.
It’s important for me to center myself around a few different values and coincidentally, I enjoy using value-based interventions in session. My humor, innate curiosity, openness, and sense of play all show up in therapy sessions. I strive to make genuine connections, both interpersonal and intrapersonal ones. It’s often reflected in research that therapeutic rapport between the client and therapist is the variable that predicts positive outcomes, and I believe my values allow me to use myself as the tool (in combination with the client’s natural ability to move toward themselves) that guides the client's change.