Marlene Merchant , LMHC

Marlene Merchant is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) based in New York who uses practical, evidence-informed methods to help people manage day-to-day struggles. She brings ten years of experience working with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, grief, and related concerns. Her style is direct and supportive, aimed at helping people build skills they can use outside sessions.

Marlene emphasizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) alongside mindfulness tools and motivational interviewing to help people change unhelpful patterns. She breaks problems into manageable steps and works with clients to set concrete goals. Sessions often include simple exercises, thought records, and experiments people can try between meetings.

She has particular experience addressing eating and food-related issues, trauma and abuse, sleep problems, and compassion fatigue. She also helps with relationship struggles, family problems, and issues like shame, guilt, isolation, and life transitions. Conversations focus on practical coping strategies and clearer communication skills.

Marlene supports people dealing with substance use and dependency concerns using a motivational approach that helps clarify values and next steps. She also works with folks facing obsessive thoughts, compulsive behaviors, hoarding, jealousy, and intimacy-related difficulties. Her work often includes rebuilding routines that improve mood and sleep.

Sessions are offered in English and can be scheduled in formats that fit busy lives. Marlene encourages small, steady changes and partners with each person to find what helps them move forward.

CBT, Mindfulness, and Motivational Work Online

Many of Marlene's methods translate well to online formats. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on the link between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and uses exercises like thought records and behavioral experiments to reduce anxiety, depression, and OCD symptoms. Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing techniques to reduce stress and improve sleep and emotional regulation. Motivational Interviewing helps people clarify what matters to them and build momentum for changes such as reducing substance use or improving self-care.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Marlene will discuss goals, try strategies, and adjust the plan based on what works. Sessions include goal-setting, homework that fits daily life, and regular review so adjustments are made together.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs. Video lets therapists observe nonverbal cues, phone works when bandwidth is limited, live chat and text can serve as shorter check-ins or for people who prefer typing. These options make it easier to fit sessions into a workday, manage childcare, or continue care while traveling.