Marissa Katz Bellani, LMHC
Warm, narrative-informed online counselor in Hawaii
Details
| Name | Marissa Katz Bellani |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LMHC |
| Based in | Hawaii |
| Licensed in | Massachusetts, Hawaii |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 8 |
About Marissa
Marissa Katz Bellani is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) based in Hawaii. She brings eight years of professional experience to sessions and aims to create a calm, steady place for people who feel overwhelmed. Marissa listens without judgment and works with each person at their own pace.
She blends narrative ideas with client-centered care to help people make sense of painful events. In sessions she draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and cognitive behavioral ideas when those approaches fit a person's goals.
Background and approach
This mix lets her address concerns like anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and relationship stress in practical ways. Marissa also helps with issues tied to identity and life transitions, including LGBT concerns, addiction, bipolar mood changes, and intimacy struggles. She works with people facing chronic illness, caregiver stress, isolation, and family-of-origin wounds.
Her background includes training in expressive arts and music therapy, which she can bring into sessions when a creative route feels useful. Her style is warm and interactive. She encourages people to tell their stories, notice how those stories shape feelings, and try small experiments to change what isn’t working.
Many clients appreciate the straightforward language and focused tools she offers. Sessions are offered online to people in Hawaii and to international clients in English. Marissa asks new clients to complete a short matching questionnaire to get started and then schedule sessions that fit their needs.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Relationship issues, Family conflicts among the things Marissa works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Depression
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Trauma and abuse
- Intimacy-related issues
- Self esteem
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Listed by Marissa among the ways she works.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Marissa among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Marissa among the ways she works.
- Existential Therapy: Listed by Marissa among the ways she works.
- Gottman Method: Listed by Marissa among the ways she works.
- Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Marissa among the ways she works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Marissa among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Marissa among the ways she works.
- Somatic Therapy: Listed by Marissa among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Marissa directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Marissa directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How narrative and ACT approaches translate to online care
Marissa often uses Narrative Therapy to help people reframe the stories they tell about themselves. This involves looking at the events and meanings that shape a person's identity and finding alternative storylines that feel more hopeful. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on noticing thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then taking steps that match personal values and goals. Client-centered therapy provides a supportive, accepting space where a person can explore whatever feels most important right now.Finding the right approach is a joint process. Marissa works with each person to decide which methods fit their needs, goals, and comfort level. She adapts techniques as the relationship and priorities evolve, and checks in regularly to make sure work feels useful.
Online sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video is useful for longer, interactive work and creative exercises, while phone calls can be easier when bandwidth is limited. Live chat or text messaging can serve for shorter check-ins, journaling prompts, or when typing feels easier than speaking. These options make therapy more flexible and easier to fit into busy lives.
Common questions about this listing
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, relationship and intimacy issues, and addictions, among other concerns listed in her specialties.
What is her overall therapy style?
Her style is warm, interactive, and person-centered. She uses narrative approaches and practical techniques so people can tell their story and try new behaviors.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has eight years of professional experience as a mental health counselor working with a variety of concerns and approaches.
What credentials and location apply to her practice?
She holds an MA and is licensed as an LMHC in Hawaii.
Which languages and international options are available?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
How can sessions be held online?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different needs and schedules.
How are costs handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What is the process for getting started?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Marissa are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Marissa where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
Or see other therapists in Hawaii »
This is a partner link. We will earn a commission if you sign up through it, at no cost to you. It does not change what you pay or the order of the listings.
Other listings in Hawaii
- Dr. Sonya Boone, LCSW - Hawaii
- Kristen Hale, LCSW - Hawaii
- Donnalyn Morgan, LMFT - Hawaii
- Dr. Jennifer De Costa, LMFT - Hawaii
- All therapists for stress, anxiety »