Mary Shands , LPC

Mary Shands is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with more than 12 years of experience supporting clients from pre-K age through late adulthood. She has practiced in a variety of settings, including school districts serving both special education and general education populations, an insurance company, programs for veterans, a substance abuse treatment center, and a sexual offender treatment program. Her background gives her practical experience addressing a wide range of concerns such as trauma, depression, anxiety, relationship challenges, parenting difficulties, emotional abuse, and separation issues related to adoption.

Mary uses an integrative approach that includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Reality Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, and Mindfulness-Based techniques to tailor care to each person she sees. She brings strong listening skills, genuine care, and an energetic presence to sessions, and she remains current on required trainings in both states where she is licensed. In addition to direct clinical work, Mary offers presentations and training to various audiences.

She also has experience helping people cope with mental health concerns related to COVID-19, codependency, issues affecting women and teens, and self-esteem struggles. Colleagues describe her demeanor as warm and approachable, and she enjoys the opportunity to talk with and listen to others as they work toward change.