Marla Carman, LMHC, LPC - Therapist in Arizona

Family of origin issues
Anxiety and depression
EMDR and ACT

About Marla

Marla Carman is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) and licensed professional counselor (LPC) practicing in Arizona with 21 years of experience. She helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, grief, addictions, and issues that trace back to family of origin patterns. Marla also works with intimacy-related concerns, eating and sleeping problems, career stress, and compassion fatigue.

She uses practical, evidence-informed methods in sessions. Those include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy, EMDR, and mindfulness-based techniques. Sessions focus on identifying repeated family roles, unhelpful thinking patterns, and small behavioral changes that make daily life easier.

Marla combines conversational work with specific exercises. Clients can expect to talk through recent problems and link them to earlier family expectations or habits. She may introduce mindfulness practices, ACT strategies for values-based choices, or CBT tools to shift upsetting thoughts.

Her background includes long-term clinical practice across many presenting concerns. That experience informs steady, direct guidance when people face life changes, caregiving stress, or persistent relationship patterns. Marla also addresses topics such as abandonment, codependency, communication problems, and fertility-related distress.

Sessions are conducted in English and she does not accept international clients. Costs vary by location and use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. To begin, a short matching questionnaire and scheduling step is required before the first meeting.

How Marla uses ACT, CBT and EMDR online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying what matters to the client and building actions around those values. It uses simple exercises to reduce struggle with difficult thoughts and to increase meaningful behavior. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches concrete skills to change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a method used to reduce the intensity of distressing memories and reactions by combining focused attention with guided processing.

Figuring out the right approach is part of the work. Marla will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or has not helped in the past. Together they decide whether to use ACT, CBT, EMDR, mindfulness practices, or a mix of these methods based on the client’s needs.

Confirm current session formats before booking since options are not listed here. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counseling into a busy week, shorten travel time, and allow check-ins from different locations. They can also allow for shorter focused meetings when time is limited or sessions that use fewer visual requirements when bandwidth is low. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises and EMDR procedures to work in a remote setting while focusing on practical coping, behavior change, and processing experiences.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesTrauma and abuse Grief Depression

Also works with

AddictionsFamily conflictsIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changes Compassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureBody image Caregiver issues and stress Codependency Communication problemsDependent personalityDivorce and separationEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingIsolation / loneliness Life purpose Midlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disorders Multicultural concerns Panic disorder and panic attacksPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaTraumatic brain injuryWomen's issues Workplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Mindfulness TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

21+ years

Listed in

Arizona, Florida, Washington

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she address?

She works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy-related issues, addictions, grief, and family concerns including family of origin issues.

What is her general therapy style?

She blends client-centered conversation with practical methods such as ACT, CBT, EMDR, and mindfulness exercises to address thoughts, behaviors, and values.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has 21 years of experience working with a wide range of concerns, including trauma-related work and long-term counseling practice.

What credentials and region are listed?

Marla holds the credentials LMHC and LPC and practices in Arizona.

Which languages are supported and are international clients accepted?

Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.

What session formats are available?

Confirm current session options before booking, as formats are not specified here.

How are sessions billed?

Cost varies with location and sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What are the first steps to begin?

Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule an initial session.

Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Looking for someone else? Find them by surname.