Staff Spotlight, Marissa Angeletti

Tell us about yourself!

Hi, I’m Marissa (she/her)! I started with The Emily Program in 2022 after moving to Spokane, Washington, with my family. I am the Clinical Manager and an Outpatient Therapist at our Spokane Outpatient & Day Treatment site for Adolescents and Adults.

What does a typical day look like for you at The Emily Program?

I love how dynamic my roles and schedule can be. Each day looks different but is typically a blend of providing staff supervision, offering support to staff and clients, running or attending meetings, working on projects, and seeing my outpatient clients. And, of course, charting and administrative work. 😉

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, what aspect of your role are you most grateful for?

Within my role, I feel most grateful to be led by purpose. It means a lot to me to empower clinician development, so that each provider can do their work in a way that feels meaningful and authentic to them to better support our clients in recovery. I am very grateful for our whole team and our site leadership team. I get to come to work every day with people I truly love, and that is such a gift.

What do you wish everyone knew about eating disorders?

So often, the eating disorder (ED) shows up as a response to a trauma, as a way to keep someone safe during a really difficult time in their life. With this in mind, it is so important to understand each individual as a WHOLE person and not just their ED diagnosis—to really look at all the surrounding pieces of their identity and experiences and excavate the root cause—in order to promote long-term recovery. An ED doesn’t need to be shamed or blamed. Recognizing the complex and individualized origins of EDs means that we can understand that the disordered behaviors held intelligence at one point. When we can come into relationship with an ED and understand its why, things can start to shift.

If you could do another job just for a day, what would it be?

I have always wanted to have my own bakery/bookshop combo!

What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

Spending time with my toddler is one of my favorite things in the world, whether at home or out and about doing her favorite activities. I also love to connect with my husband, get creative in the kitchen, read, meditate, and be outside.