Mary Shands, LPC - Therapist in Texas

Thoughts and habits
Warm listening style
Practical steps

About Mary

Mary Shands is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Texas with 12 years of experience. She has worked in schools, insurance settings, veteran services, substance abuse programs, and sexual offender treatment, and brings a warm, energetic style to sessions. Mary listens closely and aims to help people manage stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship concerns.

She has supported clients dealing with parenting challenges, adoption and separation issues, and emotional abuse. Mary also has experience with addictions, codependency, grief, and health-related mental health concerns including those tied to COVID-19. Her background includes work across early childhood to late adulthood in varied clinical and community settings.

Mary draws on several therapy approaches in her work. She commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help people notice and change unhelpful thinking and habits. Client-Centered Therapy guides her collaborative, empathetic stance in sessions. Attachment-Based and Emotionally-Focused ideas inform how she looks at relationship patterns and emotional connection.

Sessions focus on practical steps people can try between meetings, and on clearer ways to handle everyday habits and thoughts that get in the way. Mary also offers coaching-style help for career and life transitions when that is a fit.

She is licensed in Missouri and Texas and presents trainings and workshops in community settings. Prospective clients who speak English and those located internationally may inquire, and are asked to confirm current session options before booking.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, Anxiety AddictionsRelationship issuesFamily conflictsDepression

Also works with

LGBTTrauma and abuse GriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAvoidant personalityBody imageCancerCodependencyControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFirst responder issuesForgivenessHIV / AIDSHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPersonality disordersPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Self-loveSexual assault and abuseSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaTraumatic brain injuryWomen's issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

12+ years

Credentials

Missouri, Texas

Languages

English

How Mary’s Approaches Translate to Online Work

Attachment-Based ideas focus on how past relationship patterns affect current connections; online sessions can help people notice and change those patterns through focused conversation and reflection. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes an empathic, listening stance and supports the person’s own pace and goals during sessions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thinking and everyday habits, using practical exercises and step-by-step techniques to shift unhelpful patterns.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. Together they decide which methods and exercises to try and adjust the plan as progress is made.

Session formats are not listed in the biography, so please confirm the current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life by reducing travel time and allowing more flexible scheduling. It can also support shorter check-ins when needed, or working without being on camera if that helps someone focus. Licensed professionals can use these formats to deliver the same kinds of conversational, skills-based work that are used in person.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns can Mary help with?

Mary works with a broad range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addictions, relationship and family conflict, grief, and ADHD-related challenges.

How would you describe her therapy style?

Her approach is collaborative and down-to-earth, emphasizing listening, practical steps, and attention to everyday thoughts and habits that affect mood and behavior.

What is her clinical background?

She has 12 years of experience in schools, veteran services, substance abuse programs, insurance settings, and sexual offender treatment centers, and provides presentations and trainings.

What credentials and location apply?

Mary holds the LPC credential and is licensed in Missouri and Texas. Her professional practice is based in Texas.

Are sessions offered in languages other than English?

Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.

Which session formats are available?

Current session formats are not specified here; please confirm the available options when you book to be sure they fit your needs.

How are fees and payment handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working with Mary?

Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.

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