Mary Buntin, LCSW

Mary Buntin is a licensed clinical social worker with 40 years of practice in Virginia. She focuses on helping people cope with grief, depression, anxiety, and major life changes. Mary emphasizes building a healthier relationship with oneself and finding personal strengths to move forward.

She has long worked with people approaching retirement and the transition to older adulthood. That work includes supporting those dealing with aging concerns and the emotional adjustments retirement can bring. She also helps caregivers who face stress from caring for someone with a degenerative illness, and she has experience addressing compassion fatigue.

Mary offers straightforward, supportive conversations that aim to identify strengths and practical steps. Sessions focus on recognizing what is most challenging, naming small goals, and practicing skills that reduce daily strain. She encourages self-compassion and clearer decision-making as part of recovery from loss or life shifts.

Her approach centers on partnership with each person. She listens for what matters, then helps people try changes that fit their life. Mary frames growth as gradual and doable rather than sudden and perfect.

People often come for help with isolation, chronic illness, guilt or shame, and feelings common in a midlife crisis. Mary aims to empower clients to make choices that increase meaning and reduce overwhelm over time.

How therapeutic methods and online care can fit your life

Evidence-based therapeutic techniques often focus on helping people notice patterns, practice new responses, and build supports that reduce distress. One common approach helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and try different ways of thinking and acting to ease anxiety and depression. Another approach emphasizes building practical coping skills for daily life, such as pacing activities when dealing with chronic pain or caregiver stress, and practicing self-care habits that reduce burnout.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will listen to your goals and concerns, then suggest ways to try an approach and check whether it feels like a good fit. Together you can adjust methods and set small, achievable goals so progress feels manageable.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the session options before booking since the biography does not list specific formats. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also help people keep therapy consistent through life transitions, like retirement or changes in caregiving demands, while tailoring sessions to what works best for daily life.