Mary Van Hooser , LISW

Mary Van Hooser, LISW, helps people who feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or stuck. She works patiently at each person’s pace to build coping skills and make daily life more manageable. Her style is calm and direct, aimed at reducing stigma and restoring hope.

She has 35 years of experience as a social worker in mental health and draws on both professional and personal experience. Mary has supported people facing severe mental illness, addiction, grief, and trauma. She also understands concerns common to veterans and first responders from her own background.

In sessions she listens first and asks practical questions. She talks with people about what helps them feel calmer and safer day to day. Together they look at past and present patterns and try out doable problem-solving steps.

Mary uses client-centered methods and evidence-based techniques such as cognitive behavioral strategies and dialectical behavior approaches. She weaves in mindfulness and existential reflection when those perspectives fit a person’s goals. The aim is to help someone find small shifts that make life more livable.

She also supports people dealing with caregiver stress, compassion fatigue, LGBTQ concerns, and parenting-related worries by offering straightforward tools and steady support. Mary values honesty, respect, and curiosity in the therapeutic relationship.

If someone prefers online work, Mary offers video, phone, live chat, and text-based messaging options to suit different needs and schedules.

Practical approaches for online mental health care

Mary blends client-centered listening with cognitive behavioral work to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and try new, manageable behaviors. Client-centered Therapy focuses on understanding a person’s experience and following their pace so they feel heard and respected. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches concrete skills for mood and anxiety challenges.

She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills when someone needs help with emotional regulation, distress tolerance, or improving relationships. DBT offers step-by-step tools people can practice outside sessions to reduce impulsive reactions and manage strong emotions.

Choosing the right approach is a team effort. Mary will talk with someone about goals and preferences, try methods that fit, and adjust based on what helps. That collaborative process makes it easier to find interventions that actually work for the person.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions provide face-to-face time for skills practice and deeper conversation. Phone work can be simpler when bandwidth is limited or someone prefers not to use video. Live chat and text messaging are useful for brief check-ins, on-the-go support, or ongoing skill reinforcement. These formats offer flexibility to fit therapy into a busy life.