- Years in practice
- 17
- Credentials
- LISW
- Licensed in
- Ohio
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Trauma and abuse
- Focus
- Anger management
About Mary
Mary Downer is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) practicing in Ohio with 17 years of experience. She focuses on practical support for people facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and parenting challenges. Her style is straightforward and compassionate, aimed at helping parents and individuals find manageable steps forward.
Mary centers sessions on the client’s strengths and lived experience. She listens to each person’s story and helps identify specific patterns that cause trouble at home, work, or in relationships.
Background and approach
Her approach breaks problems into smaller, actionable goals that can fit into a busy life. She combines cognitive behavioral ideas with trauma-focused methods to address both current symptoms and underlying reactions to stressful events. That mix supports work on mood, panic, obsessive thoughts, and the lasting effects of abuse or traumatic incidents.
Parents often appreciate clear strategies they can try between sessions. Mary has experience with a wide range of concerns including ADHD, autism spectrum features, grief, compassion fatigue, and challenges around pregnancy and childbirth. She also addresses communication and control issues, impulsivity, and feelings of isolation.
Sessions aim to be practical and collaborative. Mary helps people build coping tools, rehearse new ways of interacting, and track small wins. She encourages realistic plans that fit each person’s rhythm and responsibilities.
Her experience in Ohio’s community settings informs a down-to-earth approach that values steady progress over quick fixes. Mary supports parents who need concrete strategies for everyday stress and relationship strain.
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.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Anger management
- Depression
- ADHD
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Family problems
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Mary lists
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Approaches that translate well to online therapy
Mary uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. CBT is practical and often involves small exercises or experiments clients can try between sessions to reduce anxiety, manage mood, and address panic or obsessive thoughts.She also uses Trauma-Focused Therapy to help people process reactions that follow traumatic events. This approach helps name how past events affect current feelings and responses, and it supports building safer coping habits over time.
Choosing the right approach is a team effort. Mary works with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and daily life. She adapts techniques based on progress and feedback so the plan stays relevant and workable.
Online therapy offers flexibility for people juggling parenting, work, or health needs. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation when visual cues matter. Phone sessions work well for lower bandwidth or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging are useful for brief check-ins, quick problem-solving, or when a shorter touchpoint fits into a busy day. These options make it easier to maintain consistent care while fitting therapy into a real-life schedule.
Questions people ask about Mary
What kinds of concerns does Mary address?
Mary works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, anger, ADHD, grief, parenting concerns, and related issues such as compassion fatigue and relationship strain.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is straightforward and collaborative. She focuses on concrete strategies, short-term goals, and building on each person’s strengths.
How much experience does she have?
Mary has 17 years of professional experience providing treatment in Ohio, drawing on community and clinical work to inform her approach.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Independent Social Worker, listed as LISW, and practices in Ohio.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are offered?
Options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging for flexible ways to connect.
How does cost work for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with Mary?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling sessions according to therapist availability.
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