Mariana Mackinnon, LCSW

Mariana Mackinnon is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, and life transitions. She speaks English and Spanish and blends practical tools with steady listening. Her approach is direct and compassionate, aimed at reducing overwhelm and finding clearer next steps.

Mariana draws on methods that include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, client-centered work, and EMDR. She uses these tools to teach skills for managing intense emotions, breaking unhelpful thought patterns, and processing difficult memories. Sessions focus on what matters most to the client and on small, usable changes between visits.

Her background includes living and working abroad, which informs a strong sensitivity to cultural and identity concerns. That perspective shows up in sessions as attention to how culture, language, and life transitions affect mood and relationships. Mariana aims to create space for clients to bring their full selves to therapy.

Typical concerns she addresses include compassion fatigue, grief, addiction-related struggles, intimacy and sexual identity questions, body image, and caregiver stress. She also helps people working through anger, ADHD-related challenges, career pressures, and attachment or abandonment issues.

Mariana has eight years of clinical experience and practices in Florida. She frames therapy as a collaborative process and encourages practical experiments that match each person's goals. Clients can expect clear goals, skill-building, and support while they make changes that matter.

How Mariana’s approaches translate to online care

CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Online CBT sessions often include short exercises and homework you can use between meetings to track progress and reduce anxiety or depression symptoms.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, centers on clarifying values and taking committed action even when difficult feelings show up. In virtual sessions that might mean learning mindfulness practices and building small, values-based steps to improve daily life.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and communication skills. These skills fit well into phone or chat formats for brief check-ins, skill practice, or when a quick coping strategy is needed.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will collaborate with clients to pick methods that match their goals, preferences, and the specific concerns they bring. That might mean combining techniques or trying a few options to see what helps most.

Online sessions offer flexibility with video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video works well for longer discussions and interactive exercises, phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat suits quick check-ins, and messaging supports brief reflections or ongoing coaching between sessions. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy life and keep progress moving forward.