About Marissa

In 2011, Marissa's world changed forever.

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An immediate family member experienced a mental health crisis and was hospitalized after contemplating suicide. The experience was both traumatic and eye-opening, exposing the realities of mental illness, family dynamics, and the hidden struggles many people carry behind closed doors. It also stirred memories from her own childhood, leading her to realize that life—and the relationships that shaped it—were not what she had always believed.

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At the time, Marissa was pursuing a successful career in the corporate fashion industry. While her professional life appeared stable, she found herself deeply unfulfilled and wrestling with the feeling that she was meant for something more meaningful. She reached a crossroads where continuing down the same path no longer aligned with the life she wanted to build.

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That season became a turning point.

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Rather than relying solely on her own plans, Marissa began seeking God's direction. Through faith, humility, and personal healing, she discovered a calling that would ultimately shape the course of her life. She learned that while pain can leave lasting wounds, healing is possible through truth, healthy relationships, wise boundaries, reconciliation when appropriate, and a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

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Those experiences ignited a passion for understanding people.

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Marissa became fascinated by how family systems, childhood experiences, trauma, and relationships influence the way we think, connect, and live. She believes that the words spoken to us, the environments we grow up in, and the relationships we experience profoundly shape our lives. Just as unhealthy relationships can leave lasting scars, healthy relationships can become places of healing, growth, and restoration.

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This passion led her to earn a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Central Arkansas. She became a Licensed Professional Counselor, later specializing in Clinical Supervision, and dedicated her career to helping individuals and families navigate life's most difficult transitions.

Over time, Marissa found herself realizing how drawn she was toward serving older adults and the families who love them. That desire had been there since childhood. The dots were connecting!

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Working with the "sandwich generation"—adult children caring for aging parents while raising families of their own—revealed an important need that often extends beyond traditional counseling. Families were not only navigating grief, dementia, caregiver stress, and changing relationships; they were also struggling to understand the complex healthcare system and make difficult long-term care decisions.

Those experiences broadened Marissa's vision.

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Today, her work extends beyond counseling to encompass the larger systems that shape the lives of older adults. She is passionate about improving the experience of aging through education, leadership, and compassionate healthcare.

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As part of that mission, Marissa has been accepted into the Arkansas Health Care Association's Administrator-in-Training (AIT) Program, where she is preparing for licensure as an Arkansas Nursing Home Administrator. This advanced training builds upon her background in mental health, dementia care, family systems, and caregiver support while equipping her to lead long-term care organizations with excellence.

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Marissa believes the future of senior care depends on leaders who understand both healthcare operations and the human experience. Her goal is to bridge the gap between mental health and long-term care leadership, helping create communities where residents are treated with dignity, families are supported with compassion, and healthcare professionals are empowered to provide exceptional care.

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Whether counseling a family through a difficult season, educating healthcare professionals, consulting with organizations, or preparing for leadership in long-term care, Marissa remains committed to one purpose: helping people flourish through every stage of life.

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Her faith continues to be the foundation of that work. She believes every person is created with inherent dignity and worth, and that even in life's most difficult moments, hope, healing, and purpose are possible.

Today, Marissa's mission is larger than counseling alone. It is to influence the future of aging in Arkansas by integrating mental health, long-term care leadership, and compassionate, resident-centered care that improves the lives of older adults, their families, and the professionals who serve them.