“I know you are tired but come,
this is the way.”
― Rumi
I am honored to meet you. My name is Marianne.
Professional Philosophy
Love is the breath, brave techniques are the body, creativity is the heart and reflection is the soul of my practice. I offer a comprehensive approach to life’s challenges that seeks to turn our wounds into wisdom. We all have strengths and goals along with our conflicts and struggles. I see the therapeutic journey as an opportunity to discover tools that can provide relief in order to enjoy everyday activities and to actualize the fullness of our potential. My philosophy is deeply rooted in the belief that the truest nature of humanity is good and that we are all interconnected.
Personal Background
From a young age I was always a very good listener. I loved hearing my relatives tell their life stories. I sat in reverence at the dining room table as they choked back tears or burst out in laughter imparting the legacy of our family culture. I somehow understood how important it was to be there to receive the stories that needed to be told. I realized as a child that listening with genuine interest is love.
To this day I continue to be humbled by the stories that are shared with me. I know the power of being a therapeutic presence and my work is an invitation to come sit at the mythic table of the heart where stories can be held and transcended.
I have been serving children and families for over thirty years now. I co-created Kid Esteem, a not for profit center dedicated to building a healing community through play and drama therapy. I also founded Spark Elementary where I pioneered a holistic educational model for the development of an inspired life. I am the author of the Sacred Weave Mothering (2002, Aslan) and I am the mother of four adult children.
AREAS OF FOCUS
All of us here at START address the mental health areas of stress, trauma, and anxiety in our practice. We apply these three topics to unique, specific challenges that our clients are going through. I offer specialized treatment in the following areas:
Lifespan Changes
Creative arts therapy techniques along with talk therapy to support women and men in finding their truth and expressing their personal stories of triumph and defeat as they move through the varying transitions and expectations along the lifespan.
Broken Hearts: Grief & Loss
Creative arts therapies and talk therapy working together to support the various stages of grief. Loss comes in many forms such as death of a loved one, loss of a business, loss of an opportunity, loss of a friend, loss of a dream. Our culture doesn’t often support the time it takes to heal the heart and begin anew.