Marisa Desjardins

Hi I’m so happy we found each other! I am Marisa, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Connecticut. I received my Bachelor’s in Social Work (BSW) degree from Sacred Heart University (SHU) and my Master’s of Social Work (MSW) degree at the University of Saint Joseph (USJ). I have been working in the field for 8 years! I have experience working among many different populations and extensive experience working with children and caregivers. My service population includes teenagers, adults, children, and parents. Do you struggle with parenting-- setting limits, consequences, connecting or engaging with your child? Does your child have challenging behaviors? Has your child had stressful experiences? Are they struggling in school or is their development delayed? If you answered yes to any of these, you've come to the right place! I specialize in dyadic therapy with children ages 0-10 and their caregivers utilizing Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) and promoting secure attachments through Circle of Security Parenting (COS-P). Through dyadic sessions together, we can promote your child's behavior, development, your relationship together, and process their experiences. We can enhance your parenting and responses to your child as well, which will reduce your stress and increase your attunement and connection. I work to make sessions feel safe and comfortable, and to build trust in the therapeutic relationship. I believe that a trusting therapeutic relationship is the foundation for effective therapy. I use a systemic, holistic, attachment and trauma-informed approach to understand and address the whole person and stressors impacting them. I aim to help promote your wellbeing and personal growth. I utilize different approaches to help you learn how to challenge and manage uncomfortable emotions, address and promote the relationships in your life, and enhance your functioning. Through our work together, you will learn how to improve your relationships with your friends, children, partner and yourself. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. Outside of work, you can find me playing soccer, squeaking on the clarinet, playing with my cats, and skiing. I love being active and spending time outside. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!