Mary Walston

Mary Walston is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) with eleven years of clinical experience. She takes a warm, interactive approach and focuses on helping people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship strain, and anger. Her manner is respectful and compassionate while still being practical about change.

Mary uses clear, collaborative conversations to find patterns that keep problems repeating. Sessions often focus on how past relationships affect present reactions, and on building different ways to handle strong emotions. She draws on cognitive-behavioral techniques to shift unhelpful thinking and on emotionally focused methods to strengthen important bonds.

Her work also addresses parenting concerns, blended family issues, caregiver stress, and challenges that follow physical trauma or emotional abuse. Mary listens for what matters most to each person and then tailors sessions to those priorities. She pays attention to impulsivity, communication problems, commitment fears, and intimacy-related struggles.

Mindfulness practices are used when helpful to steady attention and manage intense feelings. Motivational interviewing tools help people clarify goals and take practical steps toward them. Every plan is adjusted to the person in front of her rather than following a fixed script.

Mary practices in North Carolina and conducts therapy in English. She encourages anyone who feels stuck or overwhelmed to consider a first step toward change and support.

How Mary's approaches translate to online therapy

Attachment-Based Therapy helps identify how earlier relationships shape current reactions and closeness. In online sessions this approach can help people notice patterns in their interactions and practice new ways of relating during conversations. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and trying practical experiments to change behavior. Online work with CBT often includes homework, worksheets, and short behavioral tasks to try between sessions. Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and manage strong emotions; these exercises can be practiced in short moments throughout the day.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Mary will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences. She checks in regularly and adjusts the plan as needs evolve so therapy stays focused and useful.

Confirm the available session options before booking, since specific formats are not listed in the biography. In general, online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight, and reduce travel time. Many people find it simpler to maintain consistency and try new skills between appointments when sessions are easier to attend.