Ming Pokey Mariscal

Megan Long, AMFT

My journey in the field of psychology began in Bakersfield, where I attended Bakersfield College and California Baptist University for my undergraduate education. In 2022, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in psychology and began working with people with counseling needs.

I spent the following year working with the Kern County Crisis Hotline and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, providing support to individuals experiencing emotional distress and crisis. During this time, I also volunteered at the Bakersfield Pregnancy Center, providing crisis pregnancy counseling to individuals and families in our community. These experiences strengthened my passion for helping others and deepened my understanding of the importance of compassionate, accessible mental health care.

In 2023, I continued my education at California State University, Bakersfield, where I pursued a master’s degree in counseling psychology. While completing my graduate training, I had the opportunity to work in the university’s community clinic, providing mental health services to both children and adults. I also completed an internship with Aspire Behavioral Health, a group-based intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization mental health program, gaining experience working with individuals who required a higher level of mental health support.

After completing my master’s degree in counseling psychology in 2026, I continued working as a therapist, providing both group and individual intensive services to high-risk adults and teenagers in the community. These experiences have shaped my approach to therapy and reinforced my belief that every person deserves to be met with dignity, compassion, and genuine understanding.

My Approach to Therapy

My therapeutic style is eclectic, meaning that I draw from multiple evidence-based approaches and tailor treatment to the individual rather than relying on a single therapeutic model.

My primary approaches include:

• Person-Centered Therapy
• Psychodynamic Therapy
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

I believe therapy should be a collaborative process and incorporate additional therapeutic techniques when they may better understand your experiences, identify patterns, develop effective coping strategies, and move toward the life you want to build.