Mary Ann Skender

Mary Ann Skender is a Washington LICSW with 16 years of clinical experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, grief, and life changes. She also helps with career questions, self-esteem, parenting strain, and issues around intimacy and body image.

Mary Ann uses straightforward talk and practical tools in sessions. She draws on client-centered methods to listen and help people name what matters most. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and solution-focused techniques are used to break problems into small, manageable steps. Mindfulness and motivational interviewing are also part of her approach when clients want present-moment skills or help finding motivation.

Sessions focus on clear goals and gradual progress. People work on coping skills for hard days, strategies to manage anxiety, and ways to repair relationship patterns. She also supports those facing major life transitions such as divorce, pregnancy and childbirth, or career shifts. Work can include addressing grief, post-traumatic stress, guilt, shame, and compassion fatigue.

Mary Ann frames therapy as a collaborative process. She helps clients weigh options, try concrete experiments, and notice what works. For those interested in life purpose questions, she combines exploration with practical next steps rather than broad platitudes.

Sessions are conducted in English and are organized through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. Prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule an initial appointment to begin.

How therapeutic methods translate to online sessions

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and reflecting what the client brings. In practice this means the therapist pays attention to priorities the client names and responds in a way that helps clarify next steps. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and uses exercises to change unhelpful patterns. CBT is often used for anxiety, depression, and problem-solving around daily routines.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches present-moment awareness and simple practices to reduce reactivity. These skills can help with stress, grief, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Mary Ann works collaboratively to identify which approaches fit a client's goals and preferences, discussing options and adjusting methods as therapy progresses. Finding the right mix of listening, practical exercises, and short experiments is part of the work together.

The therapist's profile does not list specific session formats, so confirm current online options before booking. Many people find that remote sessions make it easier to fit counseling into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce commute time. Online work can also support steady practice of skills between visits and make scheduling around caregiving or work obligations simpler.