Marci Sturgeon-Rusiewicz, LPC

Marci Sturgeon-Rusiewicz, LPC, uses practical, evidence-based methods to help people manage stress and anxiety. She focuses on everyday concerns like relationships, family conflict, low self-esteem, and depression. Her style is direct and supportive so people feel able to talk about what matters to them.

Marci has 15 years of experience in community behavioral health, college counseling centers, and private practice in Pennsylvania. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Therapy (DBT) to help clients change unhelpful thinking and build skills for regulating emotions. Sessions aim to teach tools that people can use between meetings to cope with daily challenges.

Her work also addresses issues related to abandonment, adoption and foster care, attachment concerns, blended families, and caregiver stress. She helps people facing chronic illness, body image concerns, and life transitions related to aging. The focus is on practical steps, not labels, so people leave with clearer plans and smaller, achievable goals.

Marci welcomes conversations about commitment worries, codependency, and relationship patterns that interfere with well-being. She offers a calm space to talk through difficult feelings and to practice different ways of responding. Many clients appreciate the mix of skill-building and honest, straightforward discussion.

People can expect a collaborative approach that emphasizes skill practice, problem solving, and steady pacing. Marci supports each person’s goals and helps them track progress over time.

How evidence-based techniques translate to online care

Many clients find Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helpful because it focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors. CBT helps with anxiety, low mood, and managing daily stress by teaching concrete strategies that people can practice between sessions.

Dialectical Therapy emphasizes emotion regulation and coping skills. It teaches ways to manage intense feelings, tolerate distress, and improve interpersonal effectiveness. That approach can be useful for people who struggle with mood swings or relationship conflict.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will review goals, listen to concerns, and suggest which techniques to try first. Clients and the therapist adjust methods over time based on what helps most, so therapy is collaborative rather than one-size-fits-all.

The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm available options when scheduling. Online therapy can make it easier to attend sessions when life is busy, reduce travel time, and allow for quicker check-ins between appointments. It also offers flexibility for people who travel or live far from the therapist, helping therapy fit into everyday routines without promising a particular format.