Marianna Birdsong, LCSW

Marianna Birdsong is an LCSW who helps adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, and major life transitions including midlife change. She offers a calm, practical approach that centers each person’s goals and day-to-day needs. Sessions focus on clear steps people can try between meetings and on building skills for managing strong emotions and decisions.

Her work combines Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which looks at how thoughts and actions affect mood, with Client-Centered Therapy that keeps the person's experience central. She draws on eight years of experience and earlier roles as an Emergency Medical Technician and peer counselor to stay grounded and pragmatic. These experiences shaped her interest in first responder issues and in supporting people with compassion fatigue.

Marianna supports people dealing with self-esteem challenges, career uncertainty, body image concerns, and feelings of emptiness. She also helps with family-related stress such as communication problems and blended family issues. Her practice addresses trauma-related concerns like post-traumatic stress and veteran or armed forces issues without assuming a single path forward.

Sessions use techniques from Dialectical Behavior Therapy and mindfulness to teach skills for emotional regulation and present-moment awareness. She also integrates motivational interviewing strategies when people are considering change or questioning their life purpose. The goal is practical work that fits into a busy life.

Marianna works in California and speaks English and Hungarian. She uses a subscription model for sessions that can be canceled at any time. Prospective clients should use the Start Therapy button to begin the matching process and schedule according to availability.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Many of her methods adapt well to remote sessions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing small behavior changes, which works well through conversation and homework between meetings. Client-Centered Therapy prioritizes the person’s perspective, so sessions emphasize listening, reflection, and collaboration to set goals that matter to the individual.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Marianna will collaborate with each person to choose techniques that match their needs, goals, and preferences. She adjusts methods over time based on what helps most, so the plan can shift as progress is made.

Practical benefits of online therapy include easier fitting of sessions into a busy schedule and the ability to meet without travel. Online care can make shorter check-ins possible when needed, and it can be simpler to coordinate around work or caregiving. Because session formats are not detailed here, confirm the therapist's current session options before booking to ensure they suit your routine and technical needs.