Mary Shands , LPC

Mary Shands is a Licensed Professional Counselor with 12 years of clinical experience. She holds LPC licenses in Missouri and Texas and has worked in schools, substance abuse treatment, veteran services, and sexual offender treatment settings. Mary approaches sessions with a warm, energetic manner and strong listening skills.

She focuses on stress, anxiety, trauma, addictions, depression, and relationship concerns. Mary also addresses parenting, grief, intimacy-related issues, eating and sleeping problems, ADHD, and compassion fatigue. She has experience with adoption and foster care separation issues and supports people navigating major life changes.

Her work blends practical, goal-oriented methods with person-centered attention. Mary uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Client-Centered approaches, and Attachment-Based ideas alongside Emotionally-Focused and Existential perspectives when helpful. In-session she will talk through thoughts and behaviors and practice small skills clients can use between meetings.

Mary has experience across many settings including schools and healthcare-related programs, and she delivers presentations and trainings in community venues. She has a history helping veterans and people affected by substance use and trauma. Her background informs a flexible approach to different life challenges.

People who seek her out often want straightforward conversations and specific strategies. Mary aims to collaborate on goals, address immediate concerns, and build skills for long-term coping. She works with clients in Texas and accepts international clients for remote sessions.

Approach-driven care for online therapy

Attachment-Based work looks at how early relationships shape current connections. It can help people understand patterns in close relationships and improve emotional closeness. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on the person's experience in the room and emphasizes empathy and acceptance to help people find their own solutions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targets unhelpful thoughts and behaviors with clear, practical techniques that can reduce anxiety and improve mood.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and preferences. Sessions can adapt over time if different strategies become more helpful, and decisions about approach are made together.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect: video calls for face-to-face conversation, phone sessions when bandwidth is limited, live chat for brief check-ins, and text-based messaging for ongoing support between meetings. These options make it easier to fit care into busy schedules, manage shorter check-ins, or continue work while traveling. Licensed professionals can use these formats to practice the same therapeutic techniques they use in person, making progress possible across a range of concerns.