- Addictions support
- Anxiety and depression
- Relationship issues
About Marilyn
Marilyn Bryan DeBernardo is a New York Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with 25 years of experience. She works with adults on issues such as addictions, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, grief, trauma, and life transitions. Marilyn also helps people facing parenting stress, ADHD-related struggles, and challenges around intimacy and self-esteem.
She brings a straightforward, practical style to sessions. Conversations focus on what is happening now and what changes are possible. Marilyn uses proven approaches to help people recognize patterns, manage strong emotions, and make decisions that fit their goals.
Her background includes long-term work in the Capital Region helping people with substance use and co-occurring mental health issues. That experience informs how she addresses addiction, codependency, and relapse prevention alongside mood and trauma-related concerns. She also supports those coping with loss and major life changes.
Sessions typically mix skill building with deeper emotional work. Marilyn helps clients identify unhelpful thoughts, practice new behaviors, and repair important relationships. She provides clear tools for dealing with stress and anxiety while also addressing underlying patterns that keep problems repeating.
Many people seek her help when they feel stuck after major transitions - leaving home, job changes, or recovery from addiction. She can point clients to community resources when additional supports are needed and works with them to set realistic next steps.
Marilyn offers services in English and accepts international clients. Costs vary with location and use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.
How therapeutic approaches shape online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify their values and take small, values-based steps even when difficult thoughts or feelings are present. It is often used for anxiety, stress, and navigating life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. It provides concrete strategies for managing depression, anxiety, and relapse triggers.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Marilyn will collaborate with each person to choose which methods to use, based on their goals and what feels helpful in early sessions. That means trying practical skills while also opening space to process painful experiences when needed.
The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current online options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when time is tight, and remove travel time for those balancing school or work. Therapists can teach coping skills, guide behavioral experiments, and use structured exercises just as they would in person, with adjustments to suit each person's routine and technology setup.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
25+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with adults on addiction, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, relationship concerns, parenting stress, ADHD, and life transitions.
What is her general approach in sessions?
She blends practical skill work and emotion-focused conversations. Expect tools for managing thoughts and feelings alongside work on relationship patterns.
How much experience does she have?
She has 25 years of counseling experience, including long-term work with substance use and co-occurring mental health issues in the Capital Region.
Is she a licensed clinician and where does she practice?
She is a New York Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and practices from New York.
Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not list specific session formats; please confirm current options before booking.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions are offered through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started?
Begin by selecting the See online therapy options button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling a first session.
Online talk therapy through BetterHelp is for adults aged 18 and over and is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Find someone else by name.