Marie Russo

I believe everyone deserves to be truly listened to when life brings situations they don't know how to handle alone. Often the people closest to us can't hear us out, or don't have the expertise to walk alongside us toward something better. That belief is what drew me into this work and still drives it today.My path here wasn't a straight line. I spent 10 years as a high school guidance counselor and teacher, then more than 16 years providing individual and group therapy with English- and Spanish-speaking adults, adolescents, and children in the mental health clinic of a large urban hospital. Alongside that clinical path, more than 55 years as a Sister of Charity of St. Elizabeth, and years of work as a group leader and advocate for people living in poverty, shaped a conviction that stays with me: every person is of infinite value, and we are all better when even one person finds a better way to live. I hold an M.Ed. in Counseling and Special Services, a Master's in Social Work, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker credential, a guidance counselor certification, a certificate in Clinical Supervision, and a certificate in Spiritual Counseling — along with several years of seminar training in Bowen Family Systems theory.

I specialize in cognitive behavioral therapy, which gives clients concrete tools to start changing specific things in everyday life so they can feel calmer and happier right away — not just in theory, but in their actual week. I draw on Bowen Family Systems thinking to help clients understand the patterns they're part of, and I bring a spiritual dimension to this work when it's helpful to the person in front of me.

You can expect to be heard, without judgment, by someone who believes you already have within you the power to change. My goal is to help you appreciate who you are while finding real, practical ways to make your life happier — starting with changes you can begin making right away.