Marie Pettit, LCPC, NCC (founder)

I am a licensed clinical professional counselor and licensed school counselor. My passion is working with kids, teens, families, and young adults. I am a Montana native, and studied at the University of Montana earning my Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Music Performance. I have a Master’s degree in Counseling.

I am a Children’s Advocate helping to facilitate trauma in individuals and groups. I have worked in both Missoula and Ravalli Counties – integrating and navigating school and community systems. Additionally, I worked as a comprehensive school and community treatment mental health therapist. I have also worked as an outpatient therapist.

Before my life and career as a counselor, I taught as a private cello instructor for over ten years, working with kids and people of all ages. I feel it is important to bring music into your world, in whatever form that may be. “What is the soundtrack to your life?”

My approach as your therapist

Many of us have experienced trauma, grief and loss in some way. The main goal for working with a therapist is to deal and process these underlying painful emotional issues and understand how they can show up in maladaptive behaviors. I focus my work on understanding negative behaviors and thought patterns. Over time, we replace them with new patterns – and we learn together, how to reclaim “feeling good”.

It can be scary reaching out to get help! I focus on creating a safe and supportive, non-judgmental space. This is where the client re-writes their negative self-images and negative personal stories to create new ones. And it is in this new one where YOU are the hero. YOU are the one with self-love, beauty, and a positive mental mindset.

I practice from a strengths-based-integrated approach. This means I use various approaches tailored to fit you or your child’s particular situation. As you know, therapy is not a one size fits all. My main approaches are: cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, narrative therapy, motivational interviewing, mindfulness, solution-focused brief therapy, and behavior therapy.

I use these techniques, but again, it’s not about the therapy, it’s about you. Plato says “Know thyself, for once we know ourselves, we may learn how to care for ourselves.”