- Skills focused
- Goal oriented
- Strengths based
About Macarena
Macarena Santelices is a licensed clinical professional counselor with 14 years of experience helping people with stress, anxiety, relationship struggles, and low self-esteem. She holds an LPCC in California and an LCPC in Maryland and focuses on practical steps people can use to manage mood and regain motivation. She emphasizes meeting clients where they are and building on existing strengths.
Her approach is collaborative and straightforward. She helps people set clear goals and works with them to practice new skills between sessions. Macarena draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and uses elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy to teach emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills.
Mindfulness techniques are woven into sessions to help people notice patterns and respond differently to stressors. She also addresses life transitions, parenting strain, caregiver stress, and financial worries as part of everyday concerns that affect mood and relationships. She does not provide trauma-focused therapy and asks people seeking that work to find a different clinician.
Macarena keeps sessions practical and focused on change people can use right away. She supports work on attachment and abandonment issues, body image, and problems with impulsivity or isolation. Her style is encouraging and goal-oriented while respecting each person’s pace.
People who prefer clear steps, skill practice, and a calm coaching tone may find her style helpful. She provides services in English and works from her licensure base in California.
How CBT, DBT, and Mindfulness show up online
CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors. It helps with anxiety, low mood, and decision-making by breaking problems into small, manageable steps.DBT, or Dialectical Behavior Therapy, teaches skills for managing intense emotions and improving relationships. It includes practical techniques for tolerating distress and improving communication.
Mindfulness Therapy helps people notice moment-to-moment experience without judgment. Simple attention practices are used to reduce rumination and improve emotional awareness.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose and adapt methods based on their goals and preferences. That process may involve trying different skills and tracking what helps most.
Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life. It can reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and make scheduling around work or caregiving simpler. If you want to know which session formats are available for this therapist, confirm the current options before booking so you can pick what fits your routine.
Areas of focus
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address?
She helps with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family issues, self-esteem, parenting strain, and coping with life changes. Money and financial worries are also listed among her focus areas.
What is her therapeutic style?
Her style is collaborative and practical, emphasizing goal-setting and skill practice. Sessions often include working on thoughts, emotions, and real-world behavior changes.
How much experience does she have?
She has 14 years of professional experience working in counseling roles. That background informs her work with mood, anxiety, and relationship concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is licensed as an LPCC in California and as an LCPC in Maryland. Her profile notes California as her practice location.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are offered?
If you need to know specific session formats, please confirm the current options before booking as the profile does not list explicit formats.
How does cost and payment work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. Exact fees depend on the therapist and your region.
How do I begin working together?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability. That process connects you to the next steps.