Merry Walensa

Merry Walensa is a California-based licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC) with 17 years of experience. She focuses on helping people who are facing grief, low self-esteem, anxiety, relationship and intimacy concerns, and major life changes. Merry aims to create a calm, nonjudgmental space where clients can speak openly and begin to make practical changes.

Her approach mixes several therapy styles to match each person's needs. She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people notice difficult thoughts and focus on chosen values. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be used to identify unhelpful thinking and try new behaviors. She also draws on client-centered and emotionally-focused methods to support stronger emotional awareness and connection.

Merry describes her work as inclusive and sometimes integrates spiritual and existential ideas when those topics matter to a client. She often helps with career planning, coping with illness or aging, anger, addiction, sleep troubles, and challenges tied to family or caregiver roles. Intellectual disability is listed among her focus areas for clients who need related support.

New clients are asked to schedule a video appointment first; phone or chat may be possible later. Merry prefers that people give advance notice when they need to cancel sessions. She emphasizes that reaching out is a brave step and positions herself as a supportive guide through change.

For people who want practical steps and steady emotional support, Merry blends evidence-informed methods with a warm, accepting manner. She partners with clients to set goals and try concrete strategies that fit daily life.

How therapy approaches guide online work

Merry commonly draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy when shaping online sessions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice painful thoughts and feelings without getting stuck, then choose actions that match personal values. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and testing new behaviors to reduce distress and improve daily routines.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Merry discusses goals and preferences with each person and then adapts methods to fit what seems most useful. She encourages clients to try strategies between sessions and reviews what helps most as work progresses.

Please confirm the available session formats before booking, as specific online options are not listed here. The practice requests that new clients begin with a video appointment; phone or chat may be possible afterward. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time so work or caregiving responsibilities are easier to manage.