IFSTherapists

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LMFT

Dr. Mary Neal, LMFT

  • Experience26 years
  • LocationNorth Carolina
  • Focus areasRelationship, Trauma and abuse, and Parenting
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
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About Mary

Dr. Mary Neal is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 26 years of clinical experience who works from a trauma-informed and relational perspective.

Background and approach

She holds LMFT credentials and has practiced across state lines, bringing long-term experience helping people navigate relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse recovery, parenting challenges, self-esteem concerns, and major life transitions. Her background also includes work with issues such as abandonment, adoption and foster care, attachment concerns, caregiving stress, chronic health-related struggles, codependency, and dissociation.

Her style is collaborative and person-centered, prioritizing respectful listening and practical skill building. Clients can expect a therapeutic environment that emphasizes understanding emotional patterns, strengthening communication, and building resilience.

Dr. Neal integrates a range of evidence-informed tools to tailor work to each person’s circumstances and goals, drawing on approaches that address both present-day coping and deeper relational or developmental wounds.

She practices from North Carolina and communicates in English. Dr.

Neal’s long experience supports flexible, empathic care aimed at helping people identify strengths, manage stressors, and make meaningful changes in how they relate to themselves and others.

Integrating relational and internal work in online therapy



Internal Family Systems (IFS) views the mind as made up of parts that hold feelings, beliefs, and memories; therapy helps clients get to know those parts and promote inner harmony, which can be helpful for trauma responses and complicated emotional patterns. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) teaches acceptance of difficult thoughts and feelings while identifying values-based actions, which supports coping with life changes and building a meaningful direction. Attachment-Based Therapy explores early relational patterns and how they shape current connections, aiming to improve communication and repair relational wounds.

Finding the right approach is collaborative and often evolves over time. The therapist will work together with clients to identify which methods fit their needs, combining elements when helpful and adjusting strategies based on goals and progress rather than using a one-size-fits-all plan.

Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility for different schedules and preferences. These options make it easier to access consistent care from North Carolina and to continue work through transitions or busy periods, while allowing therapists and clients to focus on practical skills, emotional processing, and relational repair in formats that fit daily life.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Dr. Neal commonly address?
Her practice focuses on relationship challenges, trauma and abuse recovery, parenting issues, self-esteem work, and coping with major life changes. She also works with related issues such as attachment difficulties, codependency, chronic illness impacts, and dissociation.
What is her therapeutic approach and style?
Her approach is collaborative and person-centered, combining respect, active listening, and practical strategies. She blends relationally focused work with skills-based interventions to help clients navigate emotions and communication patterns.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She brings 26 years of clinical experience to her practice, offering long-term perspective on trauma recovery, relationship dynamics, and personal growth.
What credentials and location are on file for this therapist?
She is an LMFT licensed in Florida and North Carolina with license numbers FL LMFT MT2223 and NC LMFT 1622, and she practices from North Carolina.
Does she work with clients who speak other languages or live abroad?
She provides services in English and is not currently accepting international clients.
Which session formats are available for online work?
Sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and schedules.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies depending on location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What steps are involved in getting started?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Relationship issuesTrauma and abuseParenting issuesSelf esteemCoping with life changes

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Self-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Gottman MethodMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family SystemsSystemic Therapy

Experience

26+ years

Licensed

Florida, North Carolina

Languages

English