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Marlene Merchant , LMHC

Based in New York Online sessions

Compassionate, practical counseling for everyday challenges

Book with Marlene
Years in practice
10
Credentials
LMHC
Licensed in
New York
Languages
English
Focus
Stress, Anxiety
Focus
Addictions
Focus
Trauma and abuse
About

About Marlene

Marlene Merchant is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) based in New York. She uses straightforward, goal-focused methods to help people manage stress, anxiety, addiction, and parenting challenges. Her style is practical and encouraging, aimed at helping people build skills they can use day to day.

She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thoughts and change behaviors. Mindfulness Therapy is used to help clients stay grounded and notice how feelings show up in the body.

Background and approach

Motivational Interviewing helps people find their own reasons to change and stay motivated through hard steps. Over a decade of clinical experience informs her work. That experience includes supporting people dealing with trauma and abuse, depression, eating and food-related issues, and substance concerns.

Marlene also helps with grief, relationship and intimacy-related issues, sleep problems, self-esteem, and career questions. Parents can expect clear strategies for common parenting stresses, help managing emotions that affect caregiving, and tools to balance personal needs with parenting responsibilities. She also addresses family problems, communication struggles, and life transitions that affect parenting and home routines.

Sessions tend to focus on practical steps, skill-building, and small experiments between meetings. Marlene encourages realistic goals and tracks progress in ways that feel manageable. She works in English and accepts international clients via online formats.

Focus areas and approaches

What Marlene works with

Everything Marlene lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Marlene helps people with.

Approaches Marlene lists

Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.

Online support

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focuses on identifying thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going and replacing them with more helpful patterns. It is often used for anxiety, depression, sleep difficulties, and obsessive or compulsive tendencies.

Mindfulness Therapy trains attention and awareness so people can notice stress or urges without reacting immediately. This approach can help with anxiety, eating-related issues, and managing strong emotions linked to trauma or grief.

Motivational Interviewing helps people find their own reasons to change and boosts readiness for steps like reducing substance use or starting healthier routines. It is a collaborative, nonjudgmental way to explore motivation.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Marlene will collaborate with each person to match techniques to goals, needs, and preferences. She adjusts direction over time so therapy stays useful and fits changing circumstances.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video works well for deeper conversational work and visual cues. Phone calls can be easier when video isn’t an option or bandwidth is low. Live chat and messaging are useful for shorter check-ins, between-session support, or when writing helps clarify thoughts. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into busy parenting schedules and to connect across time zones.
Questions

Questions people ask about Marlene

What concerns does Marlene commonly address?

She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma and abuse, eating and body image issues, sleep problems, and parenting challenges.

What is her style of therapy like?

Her work is pragmatic and supportive, using short-term skill building, practical exercises, and collaborative goal setting to make daily life easier.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has 10 years of professional experience working with a range of concerns including grief, relationship issues, and compulsive behaviors.

What credentials and location are listed?

She is a licensed mental health counselor, LMHC, practicing from New York.

Which languages are supported and are international clients accepted?

Sessions are offered in English and international clients are accepted.

What session formats are available?

Sessions can be held by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.

How does payment work and what does it cost?

Cost varies with 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 clicking the Start Therapy button, fill out a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.

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