Mary Downer
Focused, practical therapy for daily challenges
LISW Ohio
- Experience
- 17 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Anger
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Languages
- English
About Mary
Mary Downer is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) practicing in Ohio who draws on 17 years of clinical experience to help people navigate stress, anxiety, trauma, depression, and related concerns.
Background and approach
She emphasizes an empowering stance that recognizes each person as the expert on their own story, helping clients build on their strengths while addressing obstacles that interfere with daily functioning and well-being. Her work integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and trauma-focused techniques to create practical, goal-oriented strategies for mood disorders, panic, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, grief, and relationship struggles.
Mary also addresses a broad array of focus areas including ADHD, autism and Asperger syndrome, compassion fatigue, parenting challenges, and recovery after disaster or loss. She aims to offer an open-minded, nonjudgmental space where people can explore control issues, communication problems, guilt, isolation, and life purpose while developing skills to manage impulsivity and emotional distress.
Mary encourages clients to take the first step toward change and partners with them to set achievable goals. Her approach balances practical tools and compassionate support to help clients move toward clearer thinking, healthier coping, and improved everyday functioning.
Integrating Evidence-Based Approaches with Online Care
Mary uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify unhelpful thinking patterns and develop practical skills for changing behaviors and managing symptoms like anxiety, depression, panic, and obsessive thoughts. Trauma-Focused Therapy is also part of her approach and concentrates on processing traumatic experiences and building coping strategies to reduce trauma-related distress and improve daily functioning.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Mary works with clients to understand their needs, goals, and personal preferences and then tailors strategies that feel manageable and relevant. She emphasizes partnership in deciding which techniques to try and adjusts the plan as progress unfolds.
Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, making it easier to fit sessions into busy lives and to access care from different locations. These options allow for regular check-ins, skills practice between sessions, and multiple ways to communicate that can suit different comfort levels and schedules.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
17+ years
Licensed
Ohio
Languages
English