Welcome & Overall Approach

Welcome

Thank-you for visiting my website.  You will find information here about who I am, my services, events, writings, and media.    In my counseling work with individuals, couples and groups, my approach is compassionate, yet direct and action-oriented.  I assume a basic respect for a client's intuitive abilities and strengths,  emphasize building a therapeutic relationship of trust, and focus on helping clients actively engage with the existential challenges of life. More about my approach and services.
Office Location: 1918 Bonita Ave. Berkeley, CA 94704 Map

Areas of work include depression, anxiety, relationship issues, parenting, life transitions, sexual counseling, and recovery from religious indoctrination.  I have special expertise in communication skills, especially in working with couples.  With 28 years of experience, I am able to treat every client as an individual and utilize approaches that are appropriate, including but not limited to cognitive behavioral methods, inner child work, and "positive psychology."  I have advanced training in clinical guided imagery, a powerful method for rapid and deep change, similar to hypnosis.   In general, a course of work with me is short-term, empowering, and results-oriented. 

If you are considering working with me, you are invited to call for a complimentary 15-minute discussion of concerns and counseling options. (510) 292-0509.

You may also wish to consult an article I've written, "Finding a Therapist," which offers a description of psychotherapy and a guide for selecting a therapist. As a kind of consumer guide, it provides valuable information about some of the variations that can be expected and a list of questions to ask a potential therapist. It also includes a rationale for utilizing therapy and describes important elements of the process.

Counseling sessions are by appointment in person or by telephone, with day and evening times available.  My office address is 1918 Bonita Ave., Berkeley.

Fees are on a sliding scale:  In-person sessions: $125-$155, telephone or Skype sessions: $110-$130

Financial need is considered and options available.

TESTIMONIALS:

Cyndi C., Vallejo, CA 

Marlene is WONDERFUL!  She has helped me gain confidence and make tremendous emotional growth in a relatively short time.  

I remember the first time I realized that she was speaking from experience: the same kind of experiences she was helping me work through.  I just thought it was so cool that she had "been there" and offered so much hope by example. 
     

Marlene has a wonderful sense of humor and a way of putting people at ease.  I love the way she makes me look at things differently.  She is warm, compassionate and funny (and really smart).  After our first meeting I knew I had chosen my therapist wisely.  

In our private sessions I find her visualization therapy very helpful.  Group sessions are fun.  I like that we can be silly and that it isn't all serious.  I feel safe and comfortable in group, like I am free to say whatever I need to say.

Jeff S., Berkeley, CA 

My partner and I were going through a very rough spot in our relationship and had already been through a couple other couples counselors and we were right about to call it quits when we ran across a recommendation for Marlene on another website. We decided to try her out, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions of, well, my life anyway.
     She helped us learn empathic communication techniques and work on really "hearing" each other. Week by week she helped us navigate the way back to a healthy, rewarding relationship. I particularly liked the "homework" and assigned reading that my partner and I did together.
     I don't have enough good words for her. Thanks Marlene!

Jessica M., Berkeley, CA 

I've gone through several therapists in the past 4 years, and once I spoke with Marlene (who was extremely understanding of my student budget and numerous time conflicts) I knew I fell upon something different and refreshing. 
     Marlene isn't the therapist you expect. You go into therapy thinking "I'm going to say this, and my therapist will probably say..." No. Marlene made me think hard and actually question my thought process. She asked questions no one had ever asked me. We didn't waste time wondering about if my mother did something wrong, or what my low-self esteem was doing to me now. She reached down and found what exactly was going on that kept me from progressing and healing (I know that she hit the nail right on the head because as soon as she said it, I didn't want to talk about it anymore! haha). 
     Marlene has gotten me through a difficult period in my life, and she, unlike many in her profession, believes that therapy isn't a lifelong prescription, but rather a necessary short-term practice to utilize important skills and behaviors to cope forever. I now have a bag of tricks and I tell all my friends to try and use the skills she has taught me. 
     Her book, "Leaving the Fold" is also brilliant. It is useful for those who aren't religious, as it utilizes many of the above mechanisms I mentioned. I can't wait until she writes one based on her private practice! 
     Thank you so much :) :) 

Isabelle, Hayward, CA

Marlene Winell deserves 5 stars because of her 1) dedication to break our negative patterns of behavior, 2) use of extreme creativity when it comes to solving complex communication problems, 3) extending our couples counseling into a deeper level of individual counseling, so that the problems we individually bring to the marriage don't resurface later.
     My husband and I began going to her when my son was 7 months old and we needed to do everything we could to save our rocky marriage for the baby's sake. The last 5 months have been extremely helpful in terms of lowering the number of fights we have in general and in front of our child, and also has helped us feel stronger as a family and as happier individuals. She is skilled at overcoming communication problems because she gave us the tools to overcome communication blocks ourselves, so that in the future, we now know how to solve these issues on our own. I cannot give enough praise for Marlene Winell as an excellent couples' therapist/speech therapist/psychologist for all the hats that she wears and all the knowledge and experience she utilized to help us save our marriage.

Robert T.,  Arizona

I found the (Release and Reclaim) retreats enormously helpful, with a wonderful group of warm people who had been through much of what I had been through. Marlene is a uniquely gifted leader and therapist who understands like so few do what it's like to be in the middle of the all-encompassing religious life many of us former 'born agains' lived in. I HIGHLY recommend attending...you will not regret it.