You don't have to look like you're struggling for therapy to make a difference.
You’re in the right place.
I'm Marissa Skipper, an EMDR-trained Licensed Clinical Social Worker who works with adults experiencing anxiety, trauma-related patterns, perfectionism, and the emotional effects of difficult life experiences.
I especially enjoy working with people who are accustomed to being capable and responsible—the people who are often the ones everyone else relies on.
You may be successful in your career. You may be an incredible partner, parent or friend.
And you may still feel exhausted.
Maybe you overthink everything. Maybe you're constantly anticipating what could go wrong. Maybe you struggle to set boundaries or feel guilty when you put yourself first.
Or maybe something happened in your life that you thought you had moved past, but your mind or body still reacts as though it is happening.
That's where therapy can help.
My style
I believe that therapy works best as a team effort.
My approach is warm, compassionate, and collaborative, but I also believe therapy should be purposeful.
I don't want you to spend years talking about the same problems without experiencing meaningful change.
When appropriate, I use EMDR to help clients process experiences that continue to affect them in the present. I also integrate CBT, ACT, mindfulness, self-compassion, and other evidence-based approaches based on what you need.
I believe you deserve to understand yourself without constantly analyzing yourself.
You deserve relationships without constantly questioning yourself.
And you deserve to feel safe enough to stop holding everything together all the time.
A little more about me
I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and private practice owner providing online therapy to adults in North Carolina and Florida, and in person in Aberdeen, NC. Before starting my private practice in Utah in 2021, I worked in hospice and in school settings.
I am also a Christian, and my faith is an important part of who I am. If it is meaningful to you, we can incorporate your faith into therapy to support healing and understanding. If not, I fully respect that, and we will always center your preferences.
My clinical interests include trauma, anxiety, perfectionism, OCD, and the ways our past experiences can shape how we respond to ourselves and the people around us.
I believe therapy works best when you feel both understood and challenged—supported enough to be honest and encouraged enough to make meaningful changes.
If you're wondering whether therapy could help, you don't need to have everything figured out.
That's what the first conversation is for.
Because of my passion for helping others to grow, I spend my time with you not only in session, but I give time to our work together outside the session as well. It is common for me to be reading, attending trainings, listening to podcasts or reflecting upon topics that have come up in our sessions, so I can find new ways to support you in creating lasting change.
Outside of work, you can find me running, in the gym, cooking, or driving my kids to various sports activities.
Training & Education
Degrees
Master of Social Work, Southeastern University
Bachelor of Social Work, University of Central Florida
Licensure
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Florida (SW8112) and North Carolina (C016792)
Certifications
Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP)
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Level II: Complex Trauma (CCTP-II)