- Warm and direct
- Practical strategies
- Focus on relationships
About Mary
Mary Shands is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with 12 years of experience. She holds licenses in Missouri and Texas and has worked in schools, insurance, veterans services, substance abuse treatment, and offender programs. Mary listens closely and brings an energetic, caring manner to sessions.
Across her career she has supported people with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, addictions, and relationship concerns. She has experience with parenting struggles, separation related to adoption, emotional abuse, and issues connected to illness and life change. Work with veterans and first responder issues is also part of her background.
Mary uses a mix of practical, evidence-informed approaches in sessions. She often draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thoughts and patterns. Client-centered work shapes the room so people set the pace and focus.
Emotionally-focused and attachment-informed ideas guide work on relationship and intimacy problems. Mindfulness and existential questions appear when clients want tools to manage stress or to find meaning after loss or life transitions.
Sessions tend to be conversational and goal-oriented. Mary offers space to talk through immediate concerns and to practice small changes between visits. She also provides education and coaching-style support when people want help building new routines or coping skills.
People who want a warm, direct counselor often seek Mary for hands-on strategies and steady support while navigating big life stressors. Her experience across settings helps her adjust to different needs and backgrounds.
Across her career she has supported people with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, addictions, and relationship concerns. She has experience with parenting struggles, separation related to adoption, emotional abuse, and issues connected to illness and life change. Work with veterans and first responder issues is also part of her background.
Mary uses a mix of practical, evidence-informed approaches in sessions. She often draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thoughts and patterns. Client-centered work shapes the room so people set the pace and focus.
Emotionally-focused and attachment-informed ideas guide work on relationship and intimacy problems. Mindfulness and existential questions appear when clients want tools to manage stress or to find meaning after loss or life transitions.
Sessions tend to be conversational and goal-oriented. Mary offers space to talk through immediate concerns and to practice small changes between visits. She also provides education and coaching-style support when people want help building new routines or coping skills.
People who want a warm, direct counselor often seek Mary for hands-on strategies and steady support while navigating big life stressors. Her experience across settings helps her adjust to different needs and backgrounds.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
LGBTTrauma and abuseGriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAvoidant personalityBody imageCancerCodependencyControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFirst responder issuesForgivenessHIV / AIDSHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPersonality disordersPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Self-loveSexual assault and abuseSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaTraumatic brain injuryWomen's issues
Therapeutic approaches
Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy
Experience
12+ years
Credentials
Missouri, Texas
Languages
English
How her approaches shape online therapy
Mary often uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. CBT is useful for anxiety, mood changes, sleep difficulties, and many everyday stressors.She also applies Client-Centered Therapy, which emphasizes listening and following the person's lead. This approach helps clients feel heard and decide what matters most to them in therapy.
Attachment-based and emotionally-focused ideas guide work on intimacy and relationship challenges. These approaches look at how early bonds and current patterns affect closeness and conflict.
Finding the right method is part of the process. Mary will collaborate with each person to pick approaches that match goals, preferences, and the issue at hand. That choice can shift over time as progress is made.
The practical benefits of online work include fitting sessions into a busy week and reducing travel time. Online therapy can make it easier to check in after a stressful day or to keep consistent appointments during life transitions. The biography does not list specific session formats here, so confirm which formats are available before booking. Licensed professionals often adapt exercises, homework, and pacing so work can continue effectively across distance.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Mary commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and addictions, among other issues. Her list also includes parenting, relationship and grief concerns.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Mary blends practical and listening-based methods. Sessions are conversational and focus on small, achievable changes.
What background and experience does she have?
Mary has 12 years of clinical experience across schools, veterans services, substance abuse treatment and offender programs. She has worked with people from pre-K through late adulthood.
What credentials and location are listed for this therapist?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor - LPC - licensed in Missouri and Texas and is based in Texas for practice purposes.
Which languages and international options are available?
Sessions are offered in English and Mary accepts international clients.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography does not specify session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with Mary?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.