Mary Carter

Hi there- I'm Mary Carter, LMFT. It is my privilege to find my place in such a dynamic field! Along with my professional background in clinical psychology, I add a holistic approach to therapy. At the core of my approach is imparting unconditional positive regard, as each individual is unique. I start at a place of unconditional acceptance where there is no judgment, where a collaborative endeavor is made to heal, assist, and help restore each individual to a safe place to be complete and whole! Many of us have faced many challenges in life - we have been unwilling victims and survivors, but much more than that, we are Overcomers - Having fought the "good fight," with renewed strength and a sense of purpose, we now start our new journey with purpose! Pablo Picasso stated, "The meaning of life is to find your gift - The purpose of life is to give it away."

My approach

My counseling style is warm and empathetic, with the focus on building a therapeutic professional relationship to impart trust along with a sense of hope and the courage to not be defeated by our fears. As individuals, we are capable of handling life stressors, but sometimes in life, we may become stuck and feel overwhelmed - I'm here to assist you with the understanding that you are not alone! I would like to offer my assistance to help you navigate life's challenges and struggles by developing a stronger sense of self and behavior modification that will provide skills to help you cope in a productive and effective manner. My focus of service is centered on the evidence-based theory of Carl Rogers, providing unconditional positive regard to each individual. I am a certified cognitive behavioral therapist as well as a certified anger management, parenting, and late-life depression facilitator. I have experience with grief and loss, late-life depression, and with personal insight as an adult who struggles with ADHD, I'm empathetic to those who have had to navigate with ADHD.

My focus

I work with all populations, providing evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy. I provide my clients with a safe and non-judgmental space to be transparent about their struggles. Many of my patients have experienced struggles with anxiety, depression, overcoming grief and loss of a loved one, as well as facing anticipatory grief. I can relate on a personal level as well as a professional level with survivors who have been impacted by suicide and assist with sharing, processing, and managing unresolved guilt and finding healing!

My communication style

I will share with you what my patients have written to me about our various sessions, many of which have written back and thanked me for my kindness, empathetic and non-judgmental approach. Milly reported that they felt safe in sharing their struggles and, as the process began, reported feeling a sense of empowerment that included a sense of hope and encouragement.

My journey to mental healthcare

I was faced with many challenges growing up in a large dysfunctional family - I know that many of us in many cultures have faced the ongoing issues of poverty, but not just financial poverty. The poverty that I am speaking of is emotional poverty - the absence of a parent due to alcoholism which promotes an unsafe environment where one is unprotected, which often results in the abuse, both sexual and physical, of individuals within the home. My journey has brought me here to be a clinical therapist to assist clients in any way I can to recognize abuse and uncover secrets that are protected by individuals who have a sense of duty to family members or friends that were perpetrators of their abuse. I came into therapy so I could assist them in becoming the unique person that they were meant to be, to be whole, to be valued, to have hope!

My goals for you

I work in a collaborative manner with each client. I ask what they would like to achieve, and then we unravel and unpack their issues and work together to find coping skills that will help them manage or eliminate the behaviors or situations that they are struggling with.

My first session with you

A therapist that they feel is competent to provide emotional support and impart the skills that they need to navigate the current struggles or challenges that they may be facing. A safe person that they can be comfortable with and be able to identify with their specific individual concerns and provide hope and willingness to want to assist them.