Grief counselors and therapists in Mansfield, TX

Hi, I’m Marilia. I offer therapy in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and I strive to create a calm, welcoming space where you feel heard and respected. I help clients work through anxiety, depression, relationship stress, life changes, and emotional pain. My goal is to help you feel less alone, better understood, and more supported as you take steps toward healing.

As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I believe meaningful change begins with transforming the way we think and behave. When we shift our internal patterns, we create space for healthier, more adaptive responses to life’s challenges. While we cannot change the past, we can work together to build new skills that help you navigate the present with clarity and approach the future with confidence.

I specialize in individual counseling for adults and adolescents, offering support for depression, anxiety, anger management, grief, emotional trauma, and adolescent development.

My goal is to help you build resilience, strengthen self‐awareness, and develop practical tools that support lasting, meaningful change.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), who is trained in Play Therapy and Autplay Therapy, which is a specialized therapeutic approach for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental differences, including autism, ADHD, sensory differences, social anxiety, learning differences, and other developmental or physical disabilities. It is neurodiversity-affirming, meaning it values the unique strengths of each child while addressing areas of challenge in a supportive and inclusive manner. AutPlay Therapy is designed so that parents are not just observers but active, trained “co‐therapists” who work alongside the child and the therapist to meet therapy goals at home twccllc.net. This collaborative approach ensures that the child’s progress is sustained beyond the therapy session, creating a “Co‐Regulation Loop” where parents and children regulate emotions and behaviors together.

With adults or couples, I take a holistic approach to counseling that looks at the mind, body, and spirit. I integrate spiritual practices into my counseling sessions by creating a safe and open space for clients to explore their beliefs and values. My aim is to assist you in overcoming life’s challenges and achieving your fullest potential by exploring deeper meaning and purpose in your life. I use a mix of different methods to tailor my approach to each person, creating a supportive and empathetic environment for growth and healing. My diverse experience helps me connect with people from all walks of life.

Outside of work, I enjoy horseback riding, spending time with my pups, serving at my church’s Youth Ministry, and staying active with CrossFit. These activities keep me balanced and fulfilled, and I bring that energy into my counseling practice.

I believe healing and growth happen best when people feel safe, accepted, and genuinely cared for. I love working with children, teens, and families, and I strive to create a warm, supportive space where clients can feel comfortable being themselves.

For children, I have advanced training in Child-Centered Play Therapy, which allows them to express feelings, work through challenges, and build confidence through the natural language of play. Often, children communicate much more through play than they can with words, and I enjoy helping them feel understood and supported in ways that fit their developmental needs.

I take a fresh, integrative approach to individualized psychotherapy, tailoring my treatment approach to each client's unique needs and goals. My work is grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which helps clients better understand and regulate their thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and reactions.

I also incorporate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), helping clients develop greater acceptance of difficult emotions and circumstances that may be out of their control while taking meaningful action aligned with their personal values. With seven years of experience as a Group Facilitator and Individual Therapist in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), I utilize evidence-based skills and mindfulness practices to help clients improve emotional regulation, increase self-awareness, and build resilience.

Thank you for visiting Little Light Wellness!

I am a board certified nurse practitioner in both psychiatry and family medicine. I received my Bachelors of Nursing through UT Austin in 2008 and my Family Nurse Practitioner Masters degree through UT Austin in 2014. I have spent the last 11 years treating patients with complex autoimmune medical conditions in an outpatient infusion setting.

In 2024, after realizing a need for holistic psychiatric care for my patients, I received my Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certification through Johns Hopkins University.

I created Little Light Wellness to integrate my passions for authentic, down-to-earth care, education, and empowering collaborative approaches to psychiatric treatment. My goal is to create a safe space for you to feel truly seen, heard, and understood as we discover what treatment paths work best for you on your mental wellness journey.

Many of the people I work with are navigating profound turning points — preparing for adoption, navigating post adoption, moving through family transitions, or facing separations that reshape everything they've known. Others have quietly carried the weight of growing up without a strong family foundation, wondering why trusting others, or even themselves, still feels so hard. Whether you're a parent trying to show up for your child while processing your own pain, an adult learning to ask for what you need, or someone still figuring out who you are and what your purpose is, you've come to the right place.

I have been a counselor for more than 30 years. I remain passionate about making a difference in the lives of others and believe that genuine caring is an essential element to an effective counseling relationship. Over the years I have worked with clients with significant trauma and loss. I consider it a privilege to stand with another individual as he or she resolves great pain. I specialize in treating clients with trauma, relationship issues, and borderline personality disorder.