- Years in practice
- 26
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Licensed in
- North Carolina
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Grief
- Focus
- Eating disorders
- Focus
- Self esteem
About Mary
Mary Cowen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 26 years of experience. She began her practice in Texas, worked in Oklahoma, and now sees people from North Carolina. Mary has supported people facing grief, depression, anxiety, addiction, relationship strain, and caregiving stress.
Her background includes work in many settings. She has provided counseling in community mental health, home health care, schools, hospitals, inpatient mental health facilities, and hospice. That variety helps her draw on many ways to handle problems.
Background and approach
Mary’s style is warm and interactive. She treats people with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. Sessions are tailored to each person so they address what matters most right now.
She uses practical tools from approaches such as client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing. Mary helps people learn new skills, rethink unhelpful patterns, and practice coping strategies between sessions. Parents often come for help with stress, parenting challenges, blended family issues, adoption and foster care concerns, and balancing caregiving roles.
She also supports people dealing with body image, eating concerns, chronic illness, and career-related stress. Mary encourages small steps and clear goals. She works collaboratively to set priorities and track progress.
People who want direct, respectful support and practical strategies often find her approach useful.
What Mary works with
Everything Mary lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Mary helps people with.
- Grief
- Eating disorders
- Self esteem
- Bipolar disorder
- ADHD
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dependent personality
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fertility issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Phobias
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Mary lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Imago Relationship Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Mary draws on client-centered therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy to shape online sessions. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and responding to what matters most to the person, helping them feel heard and supported. Cognitive behavioral therapy looks at thoughts and behaviors and teaches practical strategies to change patterns that lead to distress.She may also use dialectical behavior therapy tools when emotion regulation or intense stress is a concern. DBT skills help with managing big feelings, building distress tolerance, and improving communication in relationships. Together these approaches give tools for immediate coping and longer term change, and Mary will work with each person to find the best fit based on their needs and goals.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to offer flexibility. Video is useful for full conversations and skill practice, phone can be easier when bandwidth is low, chat is good for quick check-ins, and messaging supports ongoing reflection between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or other busy schedules while keeping the focus on practical progress.
Questions people ask about Mary
What concerns does Mary help with?
She works with a wide range of concerns including grief, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting challenges, eating concerns, ADHD, bipolar mood issues, trauma, caregiving stress, and career or life changes.
What is her therapy style like?
Her style is warm and interactive, focusing on respect and sensitivity. Sessions are tailored to each person's needs and emphasize practical skills and collaborative problem solving.
How long has she worked in mental health?
She has 26 years of experience in social work, having practiced in Texas, Oklahoma, and now North Carolina across many settings.
Where is she based and what is her credential?
She practices from North Carolina and holds the credential LCSW, licensed in North Carolina as an LCSW.
Can sessions be conducted in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Mary offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
How does pricing work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to the therapist's availability.
More therapists for parents in North Carolina
All in North CarolinaNorth Carolina 25 years in practice
Practical, compassionate care for parenting and life strain
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship
- Trauma and abuse
Anne Douglas
LMFT
North Carolina 25 years in practice
Calm, experienced guidance for parenting and life challenges
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship
- Family
Jacqueline Baiada
LCSW
North Carolina 30 years in practice English, Danish
Compassionate therapist who challenges and supports change
- Relationship
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety