Dr. Marsha Montano

I believe therapy should be a space where you can show up as you are without feeling judged, analyzed, or expected to have everything figured out. I bring years of experience as a social worker, educator, and clinical supervisor, but most importantly, I bring curiosity, compassion, and genuine respect for the person sitting across from me.

I especially enjoy working with helping professionals, educators, mental health professionals, and others who spend so much of their lives taking care of everyone else. I understand how easy it can be to become the person everyone relies on while struggling to make space for yourself.

You don’t have to come to therapy knowing exactly what you need, We can figure that out together.

My approach to therapy is collaborative, relational, and grounded in the belief that you are the expert on your own life. I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, I work to understand your experiences, relationships, identities, strengths, and the systems that may be impacting your life.

My style is warm, conversational, and honest. Therapy with me isn’t about sitting silently while you do all the talking. I’ll listen, ask questions, help you notice patterns, challenge you when it may be helpful, and celebrate the progress that can sometimes be difficult to see in yourself.

I use a strengths-based and trauma-informed approach while also recognizing that not everything we struggle with exists solely within us. Family, work, culture, relationships, expectations, and larger systems can all shape how we experience the world. Together, we’ll focus on what matters most to you and what meaningful change looks like in your life.

The first session is really about getting to know each other and deciding whether I feel like the right fit for you. I’ll ask about what brought you to therapy, what’s been happening in your life, what you’d like support with, and what you home might be different as a result of our work together.

You don’t need to prepare anything, tell your entire life story, or share anything you’re not ready to talk about. We’ll move at a pace that feels comfortable while beginning to identify what you want from therapy.

I’ll also make space for your questions about me, my approach, or the therapy process. My goal is for you to leave the steady session felling heard, a little grounded, and with a clearer sense of where we might go from here.