Mary Shands

Mary Shands is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with more than 12 years of experience. She is licensed in Missouri and Texas and has worked in schools, an insurance company, veterans settings, substance abuse treatment, and a sexual offender treatment center. Mary listens closely and brings an energetic, caring presence to sessions.

Mary helps people with anxiety, depression, trauma, addictions, and relationship and parenting concerns. She also offers support around grief, self-esteem, body image, and coping with big life changes. Her background includes work related to adoption separation, codependency, first responder issues, and concerns tied to cancer and aging.

Her approach combines practical techniques with a focus on relationships and personal meaning. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is used to spot unhelpful thinking and build new habits. Attachment-based and emotionally focused ideas guide conversations about how people connect and repair relationships.

Mary has experience in school settings from pre-K through late adulthood, and she has provided trainings and presentations in professional venues. She keeps current with required continuing trainings and draws on that ongoing learning in her work.

People who reach out can expect straightforward conversation and collaborative planning. Mary aims to help people identify small, concrete steps they can try between sessions. She also supports clients navigating stress from natural disasters, domestic violence, and substance use concerns.

To begin, prospective clients follow the site's Start Therapy flow, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the listed availability.

How Mary’s Approaches Translate to Online Therapy

Attachment-based ideas focus on how people form and repair connections. Therapy looks at patterns in close relationships and helps people try different ways of relating. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks down unhelpful thoughts and behaviors into small steps that can be practiced between sessions to reduce anxiety or depressive symptoms. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) examines feelings in relationships and supports clearer emotional communication and repair.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. That collaborative process guides whether CBT, attachment-focused work, EFT, or a mix will be used to meet a person’s needs.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm the available online session options before booking. Many people find online sessions helpful because they can fit therapy into a busy day, have shorter check-ins when needed, and avoid travel time. Online work also makes it easier to continue care while relocating or managing complex schedules. Mary uses her clinical experience to adapt techniques so they work in remote sessions and to help clients apply skills in everyday life.