- Sleep and rest support
- Grief and loss
- Career and life shifts
About Merry
Merry Walensa is a California licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC) with 17 years of experience. She works with people facing grief, relationship strain, low self-esteem, career uncertainty, and sleep difficulties. Merry aims to create a calm, nonjudgmental space where clients can talk through what matters most to them.
She blends several therapy approaches to fit each person’s needs. That can mean practical strategies to manage anxiety or depression, and deeper conversations about meaning and life direction. She also integrates spiritual and existential ideas when clients find that helpful.
Merry emphasizes collaboration and respect in sessions. Clients set goals and she offers tools to move toward them, whether that looks like short-term coaching or longer-term therapy work. She encourages accountability and asks clients to attend their planned sessions or provide advance notice when they need to cancel.
New clients are asked to begin with a video appointment before switching to other formats. This helps Merry and the client start with clear communication and a shared plan. She works in English and practices in California as an LPCC.
Her background includes helping people cope with loss, career challenges, chronic illness concerns, and compassion fatigue. She draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotionally-Focused methods, Dialectical Behavior Therapy tools, and a client-centered stance to tailor care to each person’s situation.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts while choosing actions that match their values. Online sessions can use ACT to clarify what matters and set small, doable goals for change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on the links between thoughts, feelings, and behavior and teaches practical skills to shift patterns. In virtual appointments CBT often blends short exercises and homework to practice between sessions.Finding the right approach is a shared task. The therapist will discuss your goals, preferences, and challenges and suggest whether ACT, CBT, or a client-centered stance makes the most sense. This is flexible work that can change as progress is made and new needs appear.
Confirm the session formats before booking so you know what options are offered. Merry asks that new clients start with a video appointment first, which helps establish rapport and a treatment plan. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow brief check-ins when schedules are tight. Licensed professionals can combine focused skills practice with deeper conversations in this format to address sleep, stress, relationships, and life transitions.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
17+ years
Credentials
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does Merry help with?
Merry supports people with grief, relationship and intimacy issues, low self-esteem, career struggles, stress and anxiety, sleeping problems, addiction concerns, and related challenges.
What is her approach to therapy like?
She uses a collaborative style that mixes practical techniques and deeper conversations about values. Sessions often pair skills-based work with exploration of meaning and life choices.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 17 years of professional experience working with a wide range of mental health and life concerns.
What credentials and region apply to her practice?
She practices as an LPCC, which stands for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, and she is licensed in California.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
She is not currently accepting international clients.
How are fees and payments handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions operate through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin working together?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability. New clients begin with a video appointment first.