Marlaina Stuve, M.Ed.

(she/her)

Life can be really stressful. Between relationships, work, parenting, and the added stressors related to the pandemic, it can be hard to cope. Maybe you’ve tried different things to manage how you are feeling, but they’re not working. Or maybe you have ideas of what will help, but you can’t find the time to commit to these things. You just don’t feel better. I understand and I’m here to help. As a  partner, employee, and someone who has struggled with self-esteem issues, I have learned how to sit with the discomfort of working through many emotions and challenging myself in difficult situations in order to live a life that I enjoy.

Hi, I am Marlaina Stuve, Outpatient Therapist at Serenity Solutions in Philadelphia. I will help you identify behavior patterns that are getting in the way of you living the life you want. We will identify your unmet needs and explore ways to help get those needs met. With this self-awareness, we can work together on actionable steps to make positive change, helping you live a meaningful life, where anxiety, anger, or addictive behaviors don’t get in the way anymore.

What specific modalities do you practice? 

My work with clients is informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). These behavioral therapies help people make positive changes in the moment, when thoughts and feelings can overwhelm them. 

What do you like to do when you are not working? What do you do for fun? 

I LOVE to read. I also really enjoy watching reality television, hiking, playing with my cats, and scrapbooking.

What are you excited about? What is your passion? What do you want to learn more about? 

I am passionate about learning more about anything and everything! Related to my job as a therapist, I want to learn more about trauma, generational trauma, and healing from dysfunctional families. I also want to learn more about Internal Family Systems (IFS) and other emotion-focused therapies that can help promote change alongside solution-focused modalities.

I am extremely passionate about accessibility to mental health care, and intersections between class, race, gender, and sexuality. I am very active in social justice causes, such as women & fem-identified issues, intersectional feminism, and the practice of anti-racism. Recently I have taken an interest in learning more about Spirituality and high-demand faith deconstruction.

What is your go-to creative or restorative outlet? 

A good nap or journaling helps me rejuvenate when life starts to feel overwhelming.  

What do you like about being a therapist? 

I love connecting with people, helping folks to learn more about themselves, and how to lead a more fulfilling and intentional life.