- Warm and direct
- Trauma-aware
- Practical tools
About Mary
Mary Shands is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) licensed in Missouri and Texas with 12 years of experience. She has worked across schools, substance abuse treatment, veteran services, and other settings. Mary listens carefully and brings an energetic, warm manner to sessions.
Her background includes counseling in special education and general education settings, work at an insurance company, and roles in veteran and offender treatment programs. She has supported people dealing with trauma, depression, anxiety, relationship concerns, parenting challenges, and separation issues tied to adoption.
Mary uses several practical approaches in sessions. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to spot unhelpful thinking patterns, Client-Centered Therapy to prioritize the person in the room, and Attachment-Based and Emotionally-Focused ideas when relationships are central. Mindfulness and solution-focused strategies also appear in her work.
People come to Mary for a wide range of struggles. Those include stress, addictions, grief, intimacy-related problems, sleep and eating concerns, ADHD, and career or life-change adjustments. Additional focus areas listed include abandonment, aging issues, body image, and responding to disaster or trauma.
Her practice includes delivering presentations and trainings as well as one-on-one work. Sessions follow licensing standards in Missouri and Texas. Prospective clients who want to explore adoption- or foster-related separation issues can discuss those concerns during an initial match.
How her therapeutic approaches translate online
Mary commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Client-Centered Therapy, and also draws on Attachment-Based and Emotionally-Focused ideas. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing small changes in behavior to reduce distress. Client-Centered Therapy centers the conversation on what matters most to the person, using listening and reflection to support growth. Attachment-Based and Emotionally-Focused approaches look at how patterns in relationships affect feelings and behavior, which can help when separation, loss, or intimacy issues are involved.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals, history, and preferences and then suggest strategies to try. That collaborative process makes it easier to adjust methods if something is not helping.
The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make scheduling easier and help therapy fit into daily life, for example by reducing travel time or allowing shorter check-ins between other commitments. Many people find that focused techniques like thought-tracking or emotion-focused exercises translate well to remote sessions, and conversations about adoption-related separation or trauma can be paced to suit the client's needs.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
12+ years
Credentials
Missouri, Texas
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she commonly address?
Mary works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and relationship concerns. She also lists focuses such as addictions, grief, self-esteem, and adoption-related separation issues.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style is warm, attentive, and energetic. She combines practical techniques with person-centered listening to help people try new ways of coping.
What is her professional background?
Mary has 12 years of experience in schools, substance abuse treatment, veteran services, an insurance setting, and a sexual offender program. She also delivers trainings and presentations.
What credentials and region are listed?
She holds the Licensed Professional Counselor credential (LPC) and is licensed in Missouri and Texas. Her practice location is Texas for listings on this profile.
Which languages and international options are available?
Sessions are offered in English and she 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.
What are the steps to begin working together?
Choose the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.