Mary Ruhland, LISW, CSW-PIP

Mary Ruhland is a licensed independent social worker who brings 30 years of practice to her work. She helps people facing depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, and problems with self-esteem. Her style is warm and down-to-earth and aimed at making real things feel more manageable.

She focuses on everyday struggles such as panic attacks, social isolation, and relationship difficulties. Mary also supports people working through life transitions, including midlife change and shifts in personal purpose. She talks with clients about setbacks like addictions, anger, and eating concerns in straightforward terms.

Mary uses a collaborative approach so clients help shape what comes next. Sessions often include skills for managing overwhelming feelings, improving communication, and repairing patterns that hold people back. She emphasizes building self-compassion and practical strategies that fit daily life.

Her work also addresses attachment and abandonment wounds, body image, guilt and shame, and problems with control or impulsivity. Mary helps people untangle difficult memories and find ways to move forward without minimizing what happened.

People who come to her can expect a steady, person-focused therapist who listens closely and offers clear steps for change. Her long experience informs a flexible mix of therapeutic tools tailored to each person’s needs and goals.

Approaches used in online sessions and how they help

Mary draws on Client-Centered Therapy to create a respectful, nonjudgmental space where the person’s own goals guide the work. This approach helps people who need support naming priorities and feeling heard. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is used to identify unhelpful thoughts and test new ways of thinking and behaving; it can be useful for anxiety, depression, panic, and mood concerns. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, brings specific skills for managing intense emotions and impulsivity and can help with mood swings, anger, and self-destructive urges.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. Mary will work together with each person to decide which methods fit their needs and goals. That collaboration means plans can change as progress is made or new challenges appear.

The therapist biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current online options before booking. In general, online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life - for example, by reducing travel time, enabling shorter check-ins when schedules are tight, or offering an option when video is not feasible. Licensed professionals can adapt the chosen approaches to work effectively in remote sessions while focusing on practical skills and emotional processing.