Marisa Schaff , LICSW

Marisa Schaff is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) practicing in Washington with a decade of clinical experience. She began her career in 2010 as a substance abuse counselor working with adolescents, which led her to observe the frequent overlap between addiction and broader mental health concerns. She earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Denver with a concentration in family systems and completed an Animal-Assisted Social Work certificate while also taking courses in military culture and treatment through the university psychology department.

During graduate training she completed a two-year post-graduate program at the Denver Family Institute focused on marriage and family therapy, graduating from that program in February 2019. Her work has spanned settings from drug court to residential treatment for pregnant and postpartum women, and she has supported people facing anxiety, depression, personality disorders, relationship conflict, communication challenges, addiction, and trauma.

Her clinical style is strength-based and person-centered, often blending techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, EMDR, mindfulness, solution-focused work, and narrative approaches to fit each person’s goals. She emphasizes collaboration, believes people are experts in their own lives, and aims to pair practical skills with opportunities for learning and growth. She has offered evening and some weekend appointments, and she is not currently accepting new clients.

Therapeutic approaches and online care

Marisa integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy into her online practice. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought and behavior patterns to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and to build practical coping skills. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) combines skills training in emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness and can be especially useful for intense emotions and relationship challenges.

She also uses Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for trauma-related work, a structured approach that helps process distressing memories and reduce their emotional impact. Selection of any approach is collaborative - the therapist works with each person to determine which methods align with their needs, goals, and preferences and adjusts the plan over time as progress unfolds.

Online therapy through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging offers flexibility for busy schedules and varied comfort with communication styles. These options make it easier to access support from home or other convenient locations, maintain continuity of care during life transitions, and choose the format that best supports therapeutic progress with licensed professionals and therapists.