About Me
Dr. Marisa T. Cohen, PhD, LMFT, CST
Dr. Marisa T. Cohen, PhD, LMFT, CST
As a relationship scientist, marriage and family therapist, and AASECT-certified sex therapist, I don’t just study relationships, I live and breathe the research behind what makes them work. My career has been dedicated to understanding love, connection, attachment, dating, and intimacy from both a scientific and human perspective.
Whether you’re struggling to find a healthy relationship, feeling disconnected from your partner, navigating changes in intimacy, or trying to better understand yourself and your relationship patterns, my goal is to help you gain clarity, feel more confident, and build the kind of connection you’re looking for.
Specialized Training in Relationships,
Couples Therapy & Sex Therapy
I specialize in helping individuals and couples navigate the challenges that can arise in dating, relationships, communication, intimacy, and major life transitions. My background combines years of relationship research with extensive clinical training, allowing me to bring both evidence-based strategies and a deep understanding of human connection into my work.
Before becoming a therapist, I spent over a decade as a psychology professor and relationship researcher studying love, dating, and attachment. I have also served as a relationship expert and consultant for major dating and relationship apps, including Bumble, Paired, Hily, and Nectar, bringing relationship science into the real world.
My Approach
Clients often tell me that what stands out about working with me is that I am approachable, active, and easy to talk to. I’m not a therapist who sits back and simply says, “tell me more about that.”
I believe therapy should feel like a collaborative process where we are actively working toward your goals together.
Therapy is not always linear. Sometimes we need to explore your past relationships, your family dynamics, your attachment patterns, and your goals for the future. And sometimes we need to jump around a bit to get where we need to go.
As a marriage and family therapist, I look at the full picture of who you are: your relationships, your history, your support system, and the experiences that have shaped how you connect with others.
My goal is to help you understand yourself better, break patterns that no longer serve you, and create relationships that feel healthier, more fulfilling, and aligned with what you truly want.
Availability: I provide online therapy for clients throughout New York, Connecticut, and Vermont.
Specialties
Finding a healthy, compatible partner
Dating app burnout + frustration
Relationship patterns and attachment
Building confidence in dating + relationships
Understanding relationship readiness
Communication challenges
Conflict resolution
Repairing after infidelity
Strengthening emotional connection
Desire discrepancy
Improving intimacy and pleasure
Sexual communication + confidence
Life transitions, anxiety, and stress
My Background
My path to becoming a therapist began through my work as a relationship researcher and psychology professor. I earned my doctorate in Educational Psychology, focusing on learning, development, and instruction, and spent more than a decade teaching psychology at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
During my academic career, I was a tenured Associate Professor of Psychology at a liberal arts college in Brooklyn, where I developed and taught courses on relationship science and co-founded the Self-Awareness and Bonding Lab (SABL), which examined love and relationships from a scientific perspective.
My research explored topics including early dating experiences and consensual non-monogamy. I have published academic articles, contributed chapters to textbooks, and continue to explore how relationship research can be applied to real-life therapeutic work.
After leaving higher education, I pursued my Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy so I could bring my passion for relationship science directly into clinical practice.
Today, I combine my background as a researcher, educator, and therapist to help clients better understand themselves and create stronger, healthier relationships.
Outside of therapy, I love wine tasting, spending time on the North Fork, and enjoying life with my husband and our young son. I also know firsthand that relationships can begin in unexpected ways: I met my husband through a dating app!
Education, Credentials, & Trainings
PhD in Educational Psychology, Learning, Development, and Instruction
Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in New York (License #002001)
AASECT Certified Sex Therapist
Certificate in Sex Therapy, University of Michigan Sexual Health Certificate Program
Level 1 and Level 2 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Externship Training
Prepare/Enrich Certified Facilitator
Clinical training in mindfulness-based interventions