Mary O'Dell

Mary O'Dell, LICSW, works with people facing stress, anxiety, addiction concerns, and changes that shake daily life. She focuses on body image, self-esteem, depression, and the practical effects of PTSD and social anxiety. Mary aims to make short-term goals feel manageable and to help people find steadier ground.

She uses straightforward conversation to identify what matters most to each person. Sessions often look at patterns that keep problems going and at small steps that change daily life. Mary draws on methods like cognitive behavioral and mindfulness work to offer clear tools for coping.

Her approach centers on listening first. She creates space for someone to tell their story and then helps sort what to try next. That can mean practicing new ways to respond to stress, changing unhelpful thoughts, or learning simple grounding skills.

Mary has five years of clinical experience as a licensed clinical social worker in Alabama. She has spent much of that time supporting women and LGBTQ+ individuals through life transitions, separation, and caregiver strain. Her goal is to help people rebuild confidence and move toward steady routines.

In sessions she pays attention to what a person already does well and what undermines progress. Treatment plans are made together and updated as needs change. People who want practical, empathic support for eating and food-related issues, anxiety, or life changes often choose to begin here.

How Mary’s Approaches Translate to Online Sessions

Client-Centered Therapy puts the person’s goals first and relies on listening and reflection to guide each session. It helps people clarify what they want to change and feel heard while they do so. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing small behavior changes to reduce symptoms like anxiety and low mood. It offers concrete exercises that can be practiced between meetings.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Mary treats the choice of methods as a collaboration and will adjust techniques to match a person’s needs, goals, and preferences. Together they decide whether to focus on coping skills, changing thought patterns, or rewriting parts of a person’s story through narrative techniques.

Practical benefits of online therapy often include fitting sessions into a busy schedule and reducing travel time. Many people use online work to check in during a lunch break, keep appointments when dealing with unpredictable caregiving demands, or continue care after a life change. Because the exact session formats are not specified here, confirm current options before booking to see what works best for scheduling and technology needs.