Marcia Tharp, LICSW, LCSW

Marcia Tharp is a licensed clinical social worker with 18 years of experience. She holds LICSW and LCSW credentials and practices in Montana. Marcia focuses on helping people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, trauma, and life transitions.

She aims for straightforward, practical work in sessions. Marcia listens first and helps clients notice patterns in thoughts and behavior. She often uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness, and elements of narrative and DBT-informed work to build new coping skills.

Sessions tend to concentrate on small, doable changes. That might mean identifying a troubling thought, testing it with real-life evidence, and trying a new behavior. Marcia also teaches breathing and grounding exercises to reduce intense emotions and improve sleep.

Her approach is collaborative and paced to each person. She encourages clients to name goals and pick techniques that fit their daily life. Parents looking for help with parenting stress or sleep disruption can expect clear strategies aimed at immediate relief and longer-term planning.

Marcia has experience across community and clinical settings, which she draws on when planning care. She keeps language simple and sessions focused so people can leave with one or two practical steps to try before the next meeting.

Approaches that translate well to online care

Marcia commonly draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Client-Centered Therapy in online work. CBT focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and testing them with real-life experiments to reduce anxiety and depression. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening, validation, and helping people find their own solutions through a supportive, nonjudgmental stance.

She also uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills for managing intense emotions and improving coping. DBT skills teach practical tools like distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and clearer communication that can be practiced between sessions and discussed online.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapy process. Marcia works together with each person to choose methods that match their goals, pace, and daily routines. That collaborative planning helps make sure techniques fit into regular life and feel useful quickly.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect. Video calls allow face-to-face conversations and skill demonstrations. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging make it easier to keep momentum between meetings and to share brief updates or tools on the go.