Mary "Jane" Poulson , LPC, LMHC

Mary "Jane" Poulson is a licensed counselor with three decades of experience in behavioral health. She uses an approachable, down-to-earth style to help people talk through anxiety, depression, stress, and major life changes. Jane aims to offer practical tools alongside listening and emotional support.

Jane earned a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology and holds credentials as an LPC and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She has worked in Washington in clinical settings for many years and brings long experience helping people cope with trauma, grief, and mood disorders.

In sessions she focuses on clear, teachable skills. She uses techniques from cognitive behavioral methods and mindfulness to help people notice patterns and try different ways of responding. She also draws on client-centered and solution-focused ideas to set useful, realistic goals.

Jane often helps people dealing with relationship strain, parenting stress, career pressure, and challenges related to body image, chronic illness, or caregiving. She also supports people in the LGBT community and those facing addiction or attention concerns.

Her approach is collaborative and practical. She explains options, suggests exercises to practice between visits, and checks in about what is or isn't helping. The emphasis is on small, manageable steps that fit into everyday life.

People who value direct guidance, gentle challenge, and a calm presence tend to find her style a good match. Jane encourages prospective clients to complete a brief questionnaire and schedule a first conversation to see if it feels right.

Therapeutic approaches and online care that fit your life

Client-centered work focuses on listening and responding to each person's goals and values, helping them feel heard and guiding decisions about what to try next. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and teaches practical exercises you can use to change unhelpful patterns. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) adds skills for managing strong emotions, improving distress tolerance, and improving communication in tense moments.

Finding the right approach is a shared task. Jane works with each person to decide which methods make sense based on their goals, symptoms, and what feels most useful. She checks progress and adjusts strategies when exercises or tools need tuning so clients are active partners in planning treatment.

Online therapy lets people fit sessions into busy lives. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions work when video is difficult or bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text-based messaging are useful for shorter check-ins, quick skill coaching, or when writing feels easier than talking. These options make it simpler to keep therapy consistent amid work, caregiving, or health demands.