Marilyn Guadagnino LCAT MT-BC
Holistic Counseling, Psychotherapy, Life Coaching, Sacred LivingHealing the Mind, Body, and Spirit
Hi, I’m Marilyn! I am a seasoned psychotherapist trained in mindfulness meditation practices, music-sound therapy, and the creative arts. I am also “Self-Care Mare,” passionate about helping promote self-care for everyone. Allow me the privilege of helping you have the best life possible because life is too short not to.
My Story
Growing up in Piscataway, New Jersey, in a work-oriented Eastern European family, I was groomed to become a professional flutist. Classical music was my main focus and my parents were eager to send me to a college for this classical music career.
Although I loved being a flautist, I had another focus that was becoming more of a priority to me. I was very curious about the mind: Why do we think what we think? How do thoughts and feelings arise? Why do we get stuck in emotional states? Fortunately, I learned about the field of music therapy, where I could continue to focus on music and combine it with psychology. This was exactly what I needed. I moved to Virginia for school, at Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music, and in 1987, I completed my degrees in Music Therapy and Music Education. I worked as a music therapist with adults struggling with mental health issues in hospitals and outpatient clinics. In these settings, I learned techniques that psychotherapists use to help people feel better and do better. I became licensed as a Creative Arts Therapist in 2005.
To explore my curiousity about the mind, I leaned toward eastern philosophy and the different techniques of yoga and meditation. I started my meditation journey in 1993, studying with meditation masters and practicing methods of meditation, yoga, and sound healing for over thirty years. Through my meditation experiences, verified by vedic and buddhist texts, I began to understand how the mind creates thoughts, how thoughts lead to feelings, and how feelings lead to behaviors. But even more importantly, I gained the knowledge of what to do about it. This information became a perfect compliment to my work as a therapist.
In 2011, my husband and I launched Living Stress Free Inc. which gave me an opportunity to use my experience as a mental health therapist/music therapist with what I learned from meditation, yoga and the healing arts in my private practice. I work with people individually and in groups, as well as offer talks, workshops, courses, and weekend retreats. I continue working as a psychotherapist with the University of Rochester’s Department of Psychiatry. I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to help heal the suffering of the mind, body, and spirit using such effective, creative, sustainable methods that I learned and practiced my entire career..
My Values & Beliefs
Mindfulness is not a practice, it's a lifestyle.
Noticing the present moment as it unfolds is the best way to live stress free, from my experience. When the mind drifts to the past or the future it is easy to become stressed. Only in the present moment does life come into focus with genuine honesty, clarity, simplicity and even playfulness! We live our best life when experiencing reality, not our thoughts, ideas, and fantasies about reality.
Manage your stress first, then the situation.
Creating a peaceful inner state helps bring about a peaceful environment, better relationships, a more supportive community, and potentially a calmer society. Have you ever made a major decision when you felt angry? Most likely it was not the decision you would have made if you felt calm and centered. Your response to negativity, aggression, and injustice will change depending on how calm your nervous system is. Your relationships will most likely feel better to you when your stress level is lower. Your mind can problem solve better if you are feeling relaxed. Decrease your stress first, then the situation will be easier to deal with.
Love.
Cultivating love each day can create a more fulfilling life. If you can focus on what you love whenever you can, wherever you are, you will feel more happiness. This is curiosity at its best and there is no room for judgment. It includes loving all parts of yourself, even the challenging ones. The more you can perceive yourself as a fascinating combination of different qualities, all working together as a functioning whole, the better you will feel.
My Approach
My psychotherapy foundation is a mindfulness-based approach using Rogerian’s person-centered, unconditional positive regard method. I use the techniques outlined in my book: “The Living Stress Free Bible – 20 Techniques to Make Your Life Less Stressful,” published in 2018. I am interested in teaching awareness and balance: helping people increase awareness of their thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and helping them balance all aspects of their mind, body and spirit for holistic healing.
I am spiritual but not religious. I use the most helpful ideas from different spiritual paths for an eclectically sacred yet practical approach to happiness, healing, and self-fulfillment.
As a certified Music Therapist and a licensed Creative Arts Therapist I work in the moment, having no agenda with those I work with. We meet and see where the discussion goes, almost like musicians enjoying a jam-session. It’s always so interesting to allow the energy to flow and hold space for wisdom. I definitely listen more than I speak. When we meet, the space is yours to express yourself fully. I send written summaries after sessions which include additional insights and suggestions.
Special note: I have been told I am the “therapist’s therapist.” I particularly love to support my fellow colleagues who devote their lives to helping others with mental health needs. You need a caring sanctuary for your own healing. I can help you find the peace and balance you need.
Featured Publication
The Living Stress Free Bible: 20 Techniques to Make Your Life Less Stressful
- Your go-to self-help book filled with chapter after chapter of practical wisdom and hands-on suggestions.
- Helps the reader understand what a thought really is, how it forms, what it’s purpose is, and how misunderstanding it can contribute to stress overload.
- Includes non-directive mindfulness meditation instructions, instructions on using the LSF “yantra,” music therapy techniques, and much more!