IFSTherapists

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LCMHC

Mary Walston, LCMHC

  • Experience11 years
  • LocationNorth Carolina
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Relationship, and Family
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Attachment-Based Therapy
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About Mary

Mary Walston is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) who integrates experiential and evidence-informed methods to help people navigate stress, anxiety, relationship challenges, grief, depression, trauma, and life transitions.

Background and approach

With 11 years of clinical practice, she emphasizes uncovering patterns and root causes that contribute to distress while tailoring each session to the client’s circumstances and goals. Her style is warm, interactive, and respectful, focused on collaboration and practical steps toward repair and growth.

She draws on a range of approaches including Internal Family Systems, Attachment-Based techniques, client-centered methods, Cognitive Behavioral strategies, and Emotionally-Focused interventions to meet varied needs such as intimacy issues, parenting concerns, career stress, compassion fatigue, and ADHD-related struggles. Mary has supported people dealing with abuse, blended family dynamics, control and communication difficulties, infidelity, and caregiver stress.

Based in North Carolina, she works with adults to create personalized plans that blend insight, skill-building, and compassionate support to move forward.

Integrating proven approaches for online healing and change



Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an approach that helps people notice and work with the different parts of their inner experience, encouraging compassionate curiosity toward thoughts and feelings that influence behavior. It can be useful for issues like trauma responses, self-criticism, and relational patterns. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on understanding how early relational experiences shape current connections and emotional responses, helping clients build safer, more supported ways of relating in close relationships. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes the therapist's empathic presence and nonjudgmental stance, creating a space where clients can explore feelings and develop their own solutions.

Finding the right combination of these methods is a collaborative process. The therapist works with each client to determine which approaches best fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and adapts techniques over time based on what proves most helpful in sessions. This cooperative stance helps clients feel involved in shaping their therapeutic path.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility by allowing work through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, maintain continuity during life transitions, and access consistent support from a licensed professional regardless of geographical constraints. The variety of options also lets clients choose the communication style that feels most comfortable while progressing with the therapeutic work.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does this therapist commonly address?
Mary focuses on a broad set of concerns including stress, anxiety, relationship and family problems, grief, depression, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, parenting, anger, self-esteem, career challenges, coping with life changes, compassion fatigue, and ADHD.
How would you describe the therapeutic style used?
Their style is warm, accepting, and interactive, combining collaborative exploration with practical interventions drawn from client-centered and cognitive-behavioral traditions.
What is the clinician's background and experience?
Mary holds an LCMHC credential and brings 11 years of experience working with individuals, couples, and families on a wide range of emotional and relational issues.
Where is the therapist licensed and based?
The clinician is licensed as an LCMHC in North Carolina with license number NC LCMHC 10538 and practices from that state.
Are sessions available in languages other than English?
Sessions are provided in English; international clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are offered for online work?
Mary offers multiple formats including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and schedules.
How are fees and payment structured?
Costs vary by location and the therapist's availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesFamily conflictsGriefDepression

Also works with

Trauma and abuseIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesCoping with life changesCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentBlended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDivorce and separationFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMidlife crisisMulticultural concernsSelf-loveSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

11+ years

Licensed

North Carolina

Languages

English