Marianne Kaukiainen-Russo

LMHC

My approach to therapy is fundamentally influenced by my naturally calm, warm, and accepting personality, which serves to immediately establish a safe and non-judgmental space for clients to explore vulnerable topics. My calmness acts as an emotional anchor during distress, fostering security and allowing for focused, deep listening, while my warmth cultivates the trust necessary for genuine self-exploration. Crucially, my core belief is that everyone possesses inherent strengths; therefore, my therapeutic work centers on a strengths-based model, actively identifying and utilizing your existing resilience, skills, and past successes to empower you to navigate current challenges and sustain long-term well-being, moving you from feeling stuck to self-directed growth.

The recurring themes I observe center on clients struggling with low self-efficacy and relentless mental noise—manifesting as excessive worry and repetitious, negative thoughts—coupled with a deep craving for meaningful, validating connections, often complicated by past relational hurts. This insight guides my approach to be dual-focused: I dedicate ample space to explore and process their experiences, providing the profound validation and warmth they seek to heal relational injuries and overcome anxiety. Simultaneously, I offer action-oriented tools drawn from cognitive and strengths-based approaches to directly interrupt the cycles of negative thinking and worry, empowering clients to build self-efficacy and develop the practical skills necessary for healthier relationships and sustainable emotional stability.

My treatment approach is highly integrative and rooted in multiple evidence-based models, providing both structured skill-building and deep relational processing. I frequently utilize interventions from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to address excessive worry and negative thoughts through cognitive restructuring and thought tracking, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills (Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, Distress Tolerance) to manage intense emotions and improve interpersonal effectiveness. Additionally, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness-Based Interventions help clients disengage from internal struggles and commit to actions aligned with their values. Crucially, I employ the therapist as a tool by providing a consistent, calm, and safe space for clients to explore difficult topics and practice new ways of being, ensuring they gain both practical tools for symptom management and the relational support necessary for profound, sustainable self-efficacy and healing.