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LPC

Mary Shands, LPC

  • Experience12 years
  • LocationTexas
  • Focus areasADHD, Stress and Anxiety, and Addictions
  • Therapy approachesAttachment-Based Therapy and Client-Centered Therapy
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About Mary

Mary Shands is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with 12 years of clinical experience and licensure in both Missouri and Texas. She has worked across educational settings, addiction treatment, veteran services, and specialized programs addressing sexual offending, bringing a broad range of practical experience to her work.

Background and approach

Mary has supported people dealing with trauma, depression, anxiety, relationship and parenting challenges, and has experience with substance use concerns and separation issues related to adoption. Her style emphasizes active listening, warmth, and energetic engagement, creating a space where clients can explore difficult feelings and practical solutions.

Mary draws on cognitive behavioral principles and client-centered techniques alongside attachment-informed and mindfulness-informed practices to tailor sessions to individual needs. She also brings experience addressing grief, intimacy-related issues, ADHD, codependency, compassion fatigue, and other life transitions.

Licensed as an LPC and current on required trainings, Mary also offers presentations and professional training. Prospective clients who value collaborative, down-to-earth support and a therapist who blends skills-based strategies with empathic presence may find her approach a good match.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care



Mary often uses cognitive behavioral therapy and attachment-based ideas in her work. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and patterns and teaching concrete skills to reduce symptoms like anxiety, depression, or difficulty managing impulses. Attachment-based therapy explores relationship patterns and emotional bonds, helping people understand how early or current attachment experiences shape reactions and connections with others. Both approaches can address many issues from stress and grief to intimacy-related concerns and coping with life changes.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Mary aims to learn about each person’s goals, preferences, and daily challenges, then adapt methods over time so the plan stays relevant and practical. Clients and therapist work together to try strategies, review what helps, and shift focus when needed.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to stay engaged through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These formats can make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, maintain continuity during relocation or travel, and choose the communication style that feels most comfortable while working with a licensed professional.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Mary commonly address?
Mary works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addictions, relationship and family difficulties, grief, eating and sleeping problems, and ADHD among other areas.
What is Mary’s therapeutic approach and style?
She blends client-centered listening with structured, skills-oriented techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy and attachment-informed approaches to help clients explore feelings and develop practical coping strategies.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Mary brings 12 years of professional experience working in diverse settings including school districts, substance abuse treatment, veteran services, and other clinical programs.
What credentials and location are listed for Mary?
Mary holds the LPC credential with licensure details MO LPC 2014024447 and TX LPC 77506 and practices from Texas.
Does Mary offer services to nonlocal or international clients?
Yes, she accepts international clients and provides services in English to people outside the United States as well as within Texas.
Which formats are available for sessions?
Sessions can be scheduled via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to accommodate different communication preferences.
How are costs and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What is the process for getting started?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to the therapist’s availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyAddictionsRelationship issuesFamily conflictsDepression

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

Licensed

Missouri, Texas

Languages

English

What Mary can help with

Mary Shands works with clients on stress and anxiety, addictions, relationship issues, family conflicts, and depression.

Mary works with clients from pre-K through late adulthood.

Mary works with trauma, depression, and anxiety.

How Mary approaches therapy

Mary's clinical approaches include Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Existential Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Narrative Therapy.

Experience and training

Mary is a Licensed Professional Counselor practicing in Texas, with 12 years of clinical experience.