- Stress and anxiety
- Family conflict
- Life purpose
About Mary
Mary Mcfarland Riedel is a California licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with four years of experience. She helps people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, family conflict, trauma and abuse, and questions about life purpose. She also addresses self-esteem, body image, caregiver stress, workplace issues, money worries, and concerns common to young adults and women.
In sessions she encourages clear, direct conversation about what feels stuck or overwhelming. She listens for patterns that keep problems cycling and helps clients try different ways to respond. Conversations focus on practical steps people can take between meetings as well as what comes up in the session.
Her style is straightforward and collaborative. She aims to reduce shame and to make it easier to talk about difficult topics like trauma, eating issues, or fatherhood concerns. She works with people to identify small changes that can shift daily pressures and improve communication with others.
Mary draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques to guide work with trauma, anxiety, and relationship stress. She breaks challenges into manageable pieces and checks progress regularly. Sessions also address financial stress and isolation with concrete problem-solving and coping strategies.
People who turn to her are often looking for direction after a big change, help managing caregiving demands, or ways to rebuild confidence. To start, she asks about immediate priorities and practical barriers, then sets short-term goals clients can test and adjust.
How evidence-based approaches guide online sessions
Mary draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques aimed at addressing trauma and anxiety. For trauma work she uses methods that help people stabilize reactions, process difficult memories at a manageable pace, and relearn safety in daily activities. This approach is useful for people who find past events continuing to shape their mood or behavior.For anxiety and stress she uses structured strategies that help identify unhelpful thinking and test different behaviors. These strategies teach clear steps for reducing avoidance, improving sleep and lowering day-to-day worry through short, practical exercises between sessions.
Finding the right method is part of the work. She treats approach selection as collaborative, weighing a person’s goals, comfort with different techniques, and what shows progress. The plan can be adjusted as needs change rather than fixed from the start.
The original biography does not list specific online formats. Please confirm current session options before booking. In general, online sessions can make it easier to fit meetings into a workday, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. Therapists and licensed professionals can adapt exercises for video or phone meetings and help clients practice skills in everyday settings.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
4+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she focus on?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, family conflict, and life purpose questions. She also addresses self-esteem, body image, caregiver stress, workplace and money issues.
How does she approach feeling stuck or directionless?
Her approach is collaborative and practical. Conversations identify patterns, set small experiments, and build steps clients can try between sessions.
What is her clinical background and experience?
She is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in California with four years of professional experience supporting adults with stress, trauma, and family concerns.
Where is she licensed and based?
She holds a California LCSW credential and practices with that licensure in California.
Does she work in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography does not specify session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.