- Years in practice
- 21
- Credentials
- LMHC, LPC
- Licensed in
- Arizona, Florida, Washington
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Trauma and abuse
About Marla
Marla Carman is a licensed mental health counselor who uses practical, evidence-informed approaches to help people manage stress and parenting challenges. She brings 21 years of experience and works with adults on issues like anxiety, depression, grief, relationship strain, and substance concerns. Her style is collaborative and down-to-earth, aimed at helping clients find clearer ways to cope day to day.
Marla draws on methods such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, cognitive behavioral strategies, and client-centered listening to fit each person's needs.
Background and approach
She helps parents and individuals sort through communication problems, intimacy concerns, codependency, and family of origin issues. Sessions focus on skills you can use between meetings as well as exploring patterns that keep problems repeating. Her background includes long experience in clinical settings and an emphasis on trauma-informed care using EMDR when appropriate.
Marla also supports people facing caregiver stress, hospice and end-of-life concerns, fertility or abandonment issues, and the emotional impact of career or life transitions. She pays attention to how guilt, shame, and grief affect daily functioning. Marla is licensed in Arizona as an LPC and also holds the Licensed Mental Health Counselor credential.
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit varied schedules. Costs vary by location and use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. To begin, a short matching questionnaire is completed and appointments are scheduled based on availability.
The intake process is straightforward so people can move into regular sessions without extra obstacles.
What Marla works with
Everything Marla lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Marla helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Depression
- Addictions
- Family conflicts
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Dependent personality
- Divorce and separation
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Fertility issues
- First responder issues
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Approaches Marla lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Mindfulness 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.
Therapeutic approaches for online parenting and life concerns
Marla commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy in online work. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy focuses on helping people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting locked into them, then take small, values-based steps. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns.She also draws on client-centered therapy, which emphasizes listening and building a respectful, nonjudgmental relationship. That approach helps people feel heard and clearer about their own goals before trying new skills. Choosing which approach to use is a team effort - the therapist and client discuss needs, preferences, and goals and then try methods that fit best.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy easier to fit into life. Video is helpful for more in-depth work and visual connection, phone calls can work when bandwidth is limited, live chat supports shorter check-ins, and messaging lets clients share between sessions. These options provide flexibility for busy parents and adults managing work, caregiving, or other commitments.
Questions people ask about Marla
What concerns does she help with?
Marla helps with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, addictions, sleeping and eating concerns, anger, self-esteem, and parenting challenges.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her work blends Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, cognitive behavioral techniques, and client-centered listening to create practical steps and emotional understanding.
How much experience does she have?
She has 21 years of overall experience working in mental health and with a wide range of concerns and settings.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She holds the LMHC and LPC credentials and practices in Arizona.
Which languages and international options are available?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are offered?
Marla provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
How does billing and cost work?
Costs vary by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started with therapy?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling an appointment based on the therapist's availability.
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