Marilyn Seccombe, LMHC

Marilyn Seccombe is a licensed mental health counselor in Massachusetts with 30 years of clinical experience. She focuses on helping people manage anxiety, depression, stress, and major life changes. Marilyn uses practical, down-to-earth methods to help people feel more steady day to day.

She works with issues like low self-esteem, mood problems, panic attacks, and social anxiety. She also addresses workplace stress, loneliness, and difficult feelings such as guilt, shame, jealousy, and problems with control. Her background includes long-term practice with people facing personality-related struggles and self-harm concerns.

Marilyn blends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with client-centered care and elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She aims to help people recognize unhelpful thinking, build coping skills, and practice new behaviors that fit their lives. Sessions focus on clear steps people can try between meetings.

Her style is warm, nonjudgmental, and practical. She listens closely, asks direct questions, and helps set realistic goals. People who prefer a straightforward, supportive approach tend to find this helpful.

Marilyn also uses motivational interviewing and solution-focused techniques when they fit a person's goals. These approaches help people find motivation for change and identify small, manageable steps forward. Her work is aimed at steady progress rather than quick fixes.

How Marilyn’s approaches translate to online therapy

Marilyn commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Client-Centered Therapy in her work. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing small behavioral changes to reduce anxiety and manage mood. Client-centered work emphasizes listening, empathy, and building a trusting relationship so people feel understood and can explore their goals.

She also uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills when emotional regulation and distress tolerance are key goals. DBT skills training offers concrete techniques for managing intense feelings and improving interpersonal effectiveness, which can be practiced between sessions online.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Marilyn will discuss goals, try methods that fit those goals, and adjust strategies based on what helps. Together the person and therapist decide which techniques to focus on and how to pace the work.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to increase flexibility. Video mirrors an office visit and is useful for deeper conversations. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat or text messaging can fit quick updates, brief coaching, or people who prefer typing over speaking.