Profile / United States
Marcia Pontoni, LCSW
California
LCSW - relationship and mood concerns
See online therapy options- CBT focused
- Mindfulness methods
- Grief support
About Marcia
Marcia Pontoni is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California with 25 years of professional experience. She focuses on relationship concerns, grief and loss, anxiety, and depression. Marcia also helps people cope with life changes, stress, addictions, trauma and intimacy-related issues.
Her work uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) alongside client-centered and mindfulness approaches. Sessions emphasize noticing unhelpful thoughts and testing different responses. Conversations aim to identify patterns that keep problems going and to try small, practical changes.
Marcia also draws on motivational interviewing and psychodynamic ideas when useful. That can mean examining what keeps someone stuck or helping them find personal reasons to change behaviors. She adapts those perspectives into straightforward steps rather than abstract theory.
She has substantial experience with topics that often appear together, such as family of origin issues, codependency, infidelity, and communication problems. Marcia supports people facing major life events as well, including aging concerns, cancer, hospice and end-of-life matters, and divorce or separation.
Sessions are offered in English and organized around clear goals and measurable steps. People who prefer structured approaches that mix thought-work, behavior experiments, and mindful practices often find her style practical and goal-focused.
How CBT and related approaches work in remote sessions
Marcia commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify thought and behavior patterns that maintain distress. CBT focuses on clear goals, brief exercises, and behavior experiments that can be practiced between sessions. She also uses client-centered techniques that prioritize the client's perspectives and immediate concerns, and mindfulness practices to build present-moment awareness and stress regulation.Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. Marcia will discuss options with the client, outline what each approach looks like in practice, and adapt the plan based on the client's goals and preferences. That conversation guides whether the work emphasizes thought restructuring, motivational interviewing for change, or moment-to-moment awareness skills.
The practical benefits of online therapy include fitting sessions into a busy week and avoiding travel time. Because session formats were not specified in the biographical source, confirm current online session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to keep focused homework, check in more frequently, and try behavioral experiments in real life between meetings.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
25+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she address?
She helps with relationship issues, grief, depression, anxiety, stress, addictions, trauma, and intimacy-related concerns plus related family and communication problems.
How does she use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
She uses CBT to notice unhelpful thoughts and to test new ways of responding. Sessions include practical exercises and behavior experiments to change patterns.
What is her clinical background?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 25 years of professional experience working on mood, relationship, and life-change concerns.
Where is she based and licensed?
She is licensed as an LCSW in California and practices with that credential in the state.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English only.
Does she work with international clients?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin a first session?
Start by selecting the See online therapy options button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling the first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.