Macarena Santelices, LCPC, LPCC

Macarena Santelices is a licensed counselor with 14 years of experience. She holds an LPCC in California and an LCPC in Maryland. She helps people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, low mood, or life transitions. She welcomes those wrestling with self-esteem, motivation, relationship strain, or parenting challenges.

She begins by listening closely to each person's story and goals. Sessions focus on practical steps people can try between meetings. Macarena uses clear, relatable language and works at a pace that fits each person’s comfort level.

Her approach draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Mindfulness Therapy. These methods are used to identify unhelpful thinking patterns, build emotion regulation skills, and increase awareness of present-moment experience.

Macarena also supports people facing chronic illness or caregiving stress, body image concerns, and feelings of isolation or low self-worth. She pays attention to how day-to-day routines, money worries, and life stage changes affect mental health.

People who prefer collaborative work and concrete tools often find this style helpful. The therapist emphasizes active skill-building, clear goals, and small steps toward change. She encourages people to notice progress, however modest, as part of the process.

How therapeutic approaches guide online work

Macarena uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify and challenge unhelpful thoughts and try small behavioral changes that can improve mood and daily functioning. CBT often focuses on concrete exercises and goal‑setting to reduce anxiety and low mood.

She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy to teach emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills. DBT-style tools can be helpful for managing intense feelings, impulsivity, and relationship stress in everyday life.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Macarena will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences and together decide which methods to emphasize. That collaborative process helps tailor sessions so they feel relevant and doable.

Confirm current session options before booking so you know which formats are offered. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. It can also let people practice skills in the settings where they live and work, then bring observations back to sessions for discussion.