Marcia Howard
Compassionate, skills-based therapy for life challenges
LCSW California
- Experience
- 20 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Languages
- English, Spanish, Portuguese
About Marcia
Marcia Howard is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in California who draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as a central part of her practice.
Background and approach
She combines practical, skills-based work with an emphasis on clients' own strengths to address concerns such as stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, self-esteem, relationship difficulties, family problems, and challenges related to eating and anger. Marcia frames therapy as a collaborative process in which the client’s perspective guides treatment choices.
With two decades of clinical experience, Marcia integrates techniques from DBT, mindfulness, and solution-focused approaches to help people manage life transitions, career questions, and coping with change. Her background includes supporting clients through issues such as aging and geriatric concerns, codependency, divorce and separation, domestic violence, immigration-related challenges, hospice and end-of-life counseling, and multicultural considerations.
She works in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and tailors interventions to the needs and cultural context of each person. Marcia emphasizes practical strategies, measurable steps, and the development of coping tools while honoring each client’s story and resilience.
She encourages anyone contemplating change to take the first step and seek a therapeutic partnership to explore goals and build lasting skills.
Integrating practical therapies into online care
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and adjusting unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. It emphasizes concrete strategies and homework that can be practiced between sessions to produce measurable change. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers skills for managing intense emotions, improving interpersonal effectiveness, and increasing distress tolerance; it is useful for people struggling with emotional regulation and relationship difficulties.
Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Marcia works collaboratively with clients to determine what methods best match their goals, preferences, and circumstances. She blends CBT, DBT, and mindfulness or solution-focused techniques as needed, inviting clients to provide feedback so the plan can be adjusted over time.
Online therapy with video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging provides flexibility for scheduling and continuity of care. These formats make it easier for clients to access regular sessions, practice skills between meetings, and maintain momentum when life or distance would otherwise be a barrier. Licensed professionals can adapt interventions and exercises to each format to support progress toward clients' goals.
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
20+ years
Licensed
California
Languages
English, Spanish, Portuguese