Working together
I help adults build a stronger sense of self through clearer communication, healthier boundaries, and greater acceptance of change.
I specialize in the inner conflicts that come from striving to hold things together—often at the cost of connection, presence, or peace. I bring a trauma-informed, relational lens and draw from creative practices as integrative tools, like music and writing - memoir, personal essay, poetry, and journaling.
My work incorporates several frameworks. For example…
Psychodynamic Therapy (Systems-Oriented)
This approach explores how early relationships and experiences shape your present emotional life. Research shows that psychodynamic therapy not only reduces symptoms but that its benefits often deepen over time. (Shedler, 2010)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
A practical, skills-based approach for shifting unhelpful thought patterns. Studies show CBT improves symptoms in 60–80% of people with anxiety and depression. (Hofmann et al., 2012)
Object Relations
A psychodynamic lens focused on early attachments and their influence on present-day relationships. Though not often studied on its own, it underlies many successful integrative models.
(Kernberg, 2004)
Mindfulness-Based Self-Compassion (MBSC)
Teaches a kinder, more accepting way to relate to yourself. Research shows MBSC significantly reduces anxiety, depression, and shame. One study found a 43% decrease in self-criticism after eight weeks. (Neff & Germer, 2013)
About me...
I grew up in the American South, where cultural fractures and unspoken rules shaped much of my early sense of identity. These experiences instilled in me a deep appreciation for difference, interpersonal safety, and the ways that privilege and shame can shape how we show up in relationship. I’m influenced by the work of scholars and thought leaders like Dr. Jennifer Freyd (betrayal trauma), Dr. Kristin Neff (self-compassion), and bell hooks (love, power, and safety), whose insights continue to guide my understanding of what it means to heal in a complex world.
Like many of my clients, I’ve known grief, trauma, and the impacts of addiction and mental illness up close. These experiences have taught me the value of boundaries, self-awareness, and the importance of ongoing care. I bring this perspective to therapy with honesty, warmth, and a belief that healing happens in safe relationship—when we’re met just as we are, without pressure to be anything else.
“When Mary Anne came to speak about therapy to our coaches’ training program (Accomplishment Coaching Seattle), she was well-prepared, knowledgeable, and thoughtful. But what really drew her audience to her was her being — her heart, her grace, her power, her curiosity, and her playfulness. She filled the room with her authenticity and the class couldn’t help but meet her with theirs.”