- Years in practice
- 10
- Credentials
- LMSW
- Licensed in
- Michigan
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Trauma and abuse
- Focus
- Parenting issues
- Focus
- Bipolar disorder
About Marisela
Marisela Cuellar-VanHouten is a licensed social worker who focuses on parenting concerns, trauma, mood struggles, and stress. She speaks plainly and works to create a respectful space where people can name what feels overwhelming. She emphasizes compassion and a practical focus on small, doable steps forward.
She helps people manage symptoms of depression and bipolar mood shifts through clearer routines and coping tools. For trauma and abuse she uses calm, steady conversation and techniques that reduce intense reactions over time.
Background and approach
When parenting feels exhausting or confusing she helps parents sort priorities and set realistic boundaries that fit their life. Her style is collaborative and client-centered. That means she listens first, then builds a plan together based on each person’s goals.
She blends cognitive behavioral strategies with mindfulness and acceptance-based ideas to change unhelpful thoughts and increase emotional flexibility. Her background includes ten years providing individual therapy and broader professional work in health-related settings. She is a Michigan Licensed Master Social Worker, LMSW, and brings experience supporting people coping with chronic illness, caregiver stress, grief, and relationship strain.
Sessions focus on practical skills you can use between meetings, like emotion regulation, communication techniques, and values-based goal-setting. She is an LGBTQ+ ally and pays attention to cultural context while tailoring conversations to individual needs.
What Marisela works with
Everything Marisela lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Marisela helps people with.
- Trauma and abuse
- Parenting issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trichotillomania
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Marisela lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How her approaches translate to online care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people identify personal values and take small actions that match those values despite difficult thoughts or feelings. It is useful for parenting stress, anxiety, and life transitions where motivation and direction feel unclear. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, CBT, focuses on spotting unhelpful thought patterns and testing new ways of thinking to reduce mood and anxiety symptoms. CBT is often used for depression, anxiety, and sleep problems.Choosing the right approach is part of the work. She will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences. That conversation can change over time as needs shift, and she adjusts techniques to match progress and feedback.
Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video is useful for deeper conversations and skill practice, phone works well when bandwidth is limited, live chat can fit quick check-ins, and messaging supports ongoing reflection between sessions. These options aim to make it easier to receive care around work, parenting, and busy schedules.
Questions people ask about Marisela
What concerns does she help with?
She supports people managing trauma and abuse, parenting challenges, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, stress, grief, and relationship or intimacy-related issues.
What is her therapy style like?
Her approach is collaborative and client-centered - she listens first and then works together to set goals and practical steps. Sessions aim to be straightforward and focused on skills you can use day to day.
How much experience does she have?
She has ten years of experience providing individual therapy and additional years in related professional roles. That background includes work with chronic illness, caregiver stress, and mood concerns.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds a Michigan Licensed Master Social Worker credential, LMSW, and practices from Michigan.
Which languages are offered and can international clients join?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and communication preferences.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
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