About Mary
Mary Brahm uses evidence-informed therapies to help people navigate addiction, mood disorders, trauma, relationship struggles, grief, and life transitions.
Background and approach
As a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with 35 years of experience, she blends approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, existential exploration, and client-centered care to tailor treatment to each person’s needs. Mary’s work emphasizes practical skills, increased psychological flexibility, and building values-driven action so clients can move toward a more fulfilling life.
She has substantial experience addressing substance use and co-occurring conditions, codependency, process addictions, compassion fatigue, and challenges tied to family of origin, multicultural concerns, and prejudice. Mary’s background includes work with veterans and civilian personnel, hospice and end-of-life counseling, crisis interventions, and community mental health, which informs a flexible, solution-oriented style.
Sessions are designed to identify triggers, shift unhelpful patterns, and strengthen coping and communication skills. Mary holds an Illinois LCPC and offers a thoughtful blend of clinical expertise and practical, down-to-earth guidance to support sustained change.
Integrating evidence-based approaches into online therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping clients clarify their values, increase psychological flexibility, and take committed actions that align with what matters to them; it is useful for depression, anxiety, addiction, and life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches practical skills to identify and reframe unhelpful thoughts and change behaviors that maintain distress, which can help with mood disorders, relationship problems, and coping challenges. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma-focused method that helps process distressing memories and reduce their emotional intensity, making it especially relevant for trauma and abuse-related symptoms.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Mary works with clients to assess needs, goals, and preferences and then recommends or integrates methods that fit the person’s situation. Options are discussed openly so clients understand how different techniques might address their specific concerns.
Online therapy formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which offer flexibility for scheduling and for choosing how to communicate. These options make it easier to continue care during busy periods or when in-person visits are not practical, while allowing licensed professionals to deliver structured, skills-based treatment and trauma work adapted for remote sessions.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Mary focus on in her practice?
What therapeutic approaches does she use?
How long has she practiced and what is her background?
Where is she licensed to practice?
Does she offer services in languages other than English or to international clients?
What formats are available for sessions?
How are fees and subscriptions handled?
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Addictions
- Self esteem
- Bipolar disorder
Also works with
- Career difficulties
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Intimacy-related issues
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Multicultural concerns
- Parenting issues
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Trauma and abuse
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 35 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English