About Mary

Mary Cowen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 26 years of experience. She has practiced in Texas, Oklahoma, and now North Carolina. She draws on long experience helping people navigate depression, anxiety, grief, relationship strain, and caregiving stress.

Her background includes work in hospitals, hospice, inpatient mental health, schools, community health, and home health. That variety shaped a flexible approach to care and comfort with many life situations. She has helped people facing addiction, eating concerns, chronic illness, and end-of-life questions.

Background and approach

Mary’s style is warm and interactive. She talks with people rather than lecturing, and she adapts sessions to each person’s needs. She aims to be respectful, sensitive, and compassionate while helping people name their goals.

In sessions she uses practical tools from cognitive behavioral methods and DBT skills alongside client-centered listening and mindfulness practices. That mix helps people learn new ways to manage stress, mood swings, and everyday challenges like motivation and focus. ADHD is one of the concerns she lists among areas she supports.

She also brings experience with relationship work, coaching around life transitions, and supporting caregivers. People who want a steady, experienced therapist for problem-solving and emotional support often find this approach useful. Mary encourages small, manageable steps toward clearer routines and better coping.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Client-centered therapy focuses on understanding each person's perspective and building a trusting conversation. It emphasizes listening and helping people find their own answers rather than imposing solutions, which can be useful for relationship strain, grief, and parenting stress.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) involves identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with concrete behavioral changes. It is practical and goal-oriented, often helpful for anxiety, depression, and managing stress. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches emotion regulation and distress-tolerance skills; it is practical for strong mood swings, intense reactions, and learning coping strategies.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and day-to-day challenges and then try methods that match those needs. Sessions are collaborative and can shift over time as goals change.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction for skill practice, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat can suit shorter check-ins, and messaging supports ongoing contact between sessions. These options make it easier to keep appointments and try out approaches without long commutes.

Questions people ask

What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with a wide range of issues including depression, anxiety, grief, eating concerns, bipolar disorder, ADHD, stress, relationship and intimacy issues, trauma and abuse, and caregiver strain.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is warm and interactive, focused on listening and tailoring sessions to each person's needs. She uses practical tools and collaborative problem-solving during appointments.
What is her professional background?
She has 26 years of practice and has worked in hospitals, hospice, inpatient mental health settings, schools, community health, and home health environments.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in North Carolina and practices from that state.
Which languages and international options are available?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats does she offer?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to meet different scheduling and communication needs.
How does payment and cost work?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin working together?
Start by choosing the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

What this therapist works with

Most often

Experience
26 years
Licensed
North Carolina
Languages
English

We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.