Marissa Katz Bellani, LMHC

Marissa Katz Bellani is a licensed mental health counselor who helps people manage stress, anxiety, grief, and relationship or intimacy concerns. She practices in Hawaii and works with people facing depression, addiction issues, trauma, and challenges with self-esteem and life transitions.

Her style is warm and interactive. Sessions focus on clear, practical steps that fit a person's life. She blends cognitive behavioral ideas with acceptance and client-centered approaches to help people notice patterns and try new responses.

Marissa draws on eight years of experience supporting people through hard moments. She uses everyday language and simple exercises so clients can use what they learn between sessions. Music and expressive arts inform her perspective and sometimes shape interventions when that feels helpful.

She pays attention to attachment patterns, communication problems, and family of origin issues when those areas affect current relationships. She also offers help for caregiver stress, chronic illness and disability, and concerns around isolation or loneliness.

People who want practical tools plus empathic listening often find this approach useful. The goal is steady, manageable change rather than quick fixes. Work is done at a pace chosen by the person seeking support.

How therapy methods translate to online care

Marissa commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in online sessions. CBT helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors through concrete exercises and homework. ACT emphasizes noticing what matters most and taking committed steps toward those values while accepting difficult feelings.

She also brings a client-centered stance that focuses on listening and adapting to each person's pace. Choosing an approach is a collaborative process; she works with clients to decide which methods fit their goals and comfort level and adjusts over time based on what helps.

Online therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make care more flexible. Video allows face-to-face interaction for longer sessions, phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat is useful for short check-ins, and messaging supports ongoing reflection between meetings. These options help people fit therapy into busy schedules and different life situations.