Curious therapist by day, open hearted human always.
Meet Marisa Mundell, LPC, LMHC, RYT-200
In person in Fort Walton Beach, Florida & online across Florida & New Jersey.
I want you to know:
Creativity is more about being alive than being an artist.
At the core of my approach to therapy is a conviction that belonging is healthier than fitting in.
It’s scary to challenge the status quo, especially when there’s a lot at stake. And some people were made to do just that. If you’re here, you’re likely one of those people.
The clients I work with juggle demanding careers, committed partnerships, children with special needs, military life, and much more. They take their health seriously and aren’t willing to compromise quality of life for complacency. Some of the catalysts that bring them to my office include burnout, parenting challenges, creative blocks, and identity exploration. Many clients carry the unbearable weight of thinking they must be “perfect” in order to deserve love and belonging. Our work together challenges negative thoughts and embraces the creative process of writing new rules for living—-ones that feel value aligned, flexible, and sustainable.
With me, you can expect therapy to feel more casual than clinical. I grew up in a big Italian family, so naturally, I talk with my hands, and my love language is food. You can also expect a listener who is laser focused and efficient. As a writer with lots of practice in nervous system regulation, I play with words, so they strike the right chords to induce calm and ignite change.
True to my Scorpio nature, the default here is transformation. Whether you want to just approach your days more creatively or you have specific goals to get your creative work into the world, I’m here to help you approach unique challenges with more self-compassion, confidence, and purpose.
How I work
Central to my therapeutic approach is great reverence for the human spirit.
Nearly 15 years of travel, meditation, yoga, writing, and bodywork, have helped me fine-tune my human instrument — to notice what is well in others and help draw that out. This attunement informs how I show up to every session: grounded, open, present, and eager to hear your stories. My only protocol is to help you ease in and out of our shared space with intention— because how you do that here is how you'll begin to do it everywhere.
Some things that lift my spirit include feeling the beat of a beloved song in my body, making my way as a millennial mom, adding to my deck of Soul Collage® cards, and allll the alliterations.
Therapy with me is…
relational
Think of our relationship as a partnership — one where we co-conspire to help you live your most authentic life. We'll talk about how we're experiencing one another as much as what's on your mind. You don't have to have it all figured out when you arrive — silence, laughter, anger, & tears are all grist for the existential mill.
empowering & encouraging
Together, we'll look at the power dynamics you've been living inside — the ones at work, at home, in your community, in your own head. Then we'll create something different. A space where you practice being the authority in your own life — not because I tell you to, but because you finally feel safe enough to try. I'll be right there, cheering you on -- every brave, messy, beautiful step of the way!
experiential & practical
I draw from different body-based therapies like expressive arts, yoga, and psychodrama to bypass your busy analytical brain and figure out the patterns below the surface. Think more rolling up your sleeves, than lying on the couch. Together, we transform Ah-Ha! moments into step-by-step strategies you can start implementing immediately.
My background
-
Psychodrama Training, Psychodrama New Jersey (Current, Ongoing)
Nervous System Informed Consultation Group, Co-Create Healing Center (Current, Ongoing)
1:1 Case Consultation & Conceptualization, NJ Counseling Connections (Current, Ongoing)
-
Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Florida 2021
Licensed Professional Counselor, New Jersey 2013
Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling, Monmouth University, NJ 2010
Bachelor of Arts in English, Minor in Psychology, Minor in Communications, Saint Joseph’s University, Phila. PA
-
Registered Yoga Teacher, 200 Hour Certificate
New Jersey Department of Education, School Counselor Certification
Certificate in Spirituality & Counseling, Monmouth University, NJ
Certificate in Child & Adolescent Counseling, Monmouth University, NJ