Mary Ann Skender

Mary Ann Skender is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) practicing in Washington with 16 years of experience. She focuses on helping people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and major life changes. Mary Ann emphasizes practical support and steady guidance during hard moments.

Her work centers on listening first and tailoring tools to each person’s needs. She uses straightforward methods like mindfulness and cognitive strategies to reduce overwhelm. Sessions often include steps people can try between meetings to build on progress.

Mary Ann also helps people navigate relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting stress, and issues around body image and self-esteem. She draws on motivational interviewing and solution-focused ideas to help people find small, achievable changes. That approach aims to move toward clearer goals without getting stuck in problem-focused cycles.

People who come to her for trauma, abuse recovery, or post-traumatic stress find a steady, patient presence and practical pacing. She pays attention to caregiver stress, compassion fatigue, and life transitions such as divorce or pregnancy and childbirth. The emphasis is on manageable steps and realistic coping skills.

Mary Ann describes therapy as a collaborative process. She works with people to set priorities and build skills for daily life. Her goal is to help clients feel more grounded, make clearer choices, and increase self-compassion over time.

Mindfulness and practical strategies for online care

Mary Ann uses Mindfulness Therapy to help people notice stress and interrupt automatic reactions. That approach teaches simple attention practices and breathing or body-awareness exercises to reduce rumination and increase calm. Client-Centered Therapy is also part of her work and focuses on listening, empathy, and helping people find their own solutions through an accepting therapeutic relationship. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, offers practical tools to identify unhelpful thoughts and try small behavior changes that improve mood and functioning.

Choosing the right approach is part of therapy. Mary Ann works together with each person to decide what fits best based on goals, needs, and daily life. She adjusts methods as progress and preferences become clearer so the work stays relevant and manageable.

The practical benefits of online therapy include fitting sessions into busy schedules and reducing travel time so therapy can be easier to keep up. Online work can also allow shorter check-ins when a quick touchpoint helps, or audio-only conversations when bandwidth is low or being on camera is not desirable. Because the biography does not list specific session formats, please confirm current online and in-person options before booking so you can find what fits your routine.