Macarena Santelices is a licensed clinician with 14 years of experience. She holds an LPCC in California and an LCPC in Maryland and focuses on helping people handle stress, anxiety, relationships, family conflict, and self esteem. She aims to meet people where they are and support them as they take the first steps toward change.
Her style is collaborative and grounded. She approaches sessions as practical conversations about what feels hard now. She listens for strengths and small wins people can build on. Sessions often focus on clearer communication, managing mood, and boosting confidence in everyday life.
Macarena uses tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thinking and try different behaviors. She also weaves in mindfulness practices to reduce reactivity and increase calm. These methods are used to address depression, parenting stress, body image concerns, isolation, and life transitions among other challenges.
She has worked across community and clinical settings over more than a decade. That background informs a straightforward approach that balances skill-building and emotional processing. Macarena emphasizes practical steps people can try between sessions to make steady progress.
To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule according to Macarena's availability. Sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time, and cost varies with location and therapist availability.
How CBT, DBT, and Mindfulness Translate to Online Sessions
CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing different behaviors to see what helps. It is often used for anxiety, low mood, and changing patterns that get in the way of daily life. DBT, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, teaches practical skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and clearer interpersonal communication. It can help when strong emotions lead to impulsive choices or conflict with others. Mindfulness Therapy brings attention to the present moment through simple exercises that reduce reactivity and increase steady focus; it can support stress reduction and better coping.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to pick techniques that match their goals, preferences, and day-to-day challenges. That means trying methods, checking what works, and adjusting the plan together as therapy progresses.
The original biography does not list which session formats are available, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life - for example, timing appointments during a lunch break or avoiding travel time. It can also allow for shorter check-ins when needed or sessions without video when bandwidth or comfort is a concern. Licensed professionals can adapt CBT, DBT, and mindfulness exercises to remote sessions so people can practice between meetings and build skills that carry into daily routines.