Mary Messerschmidt, LCSW
Compassionate narrative-informed therapy and coaching
Details
| Name | Mary Messerschmidt |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LCSW |
| Based in | Virginia |
| Licensed in | Virginia |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 25 |
About Mary
Mary Messerschmidt is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) practicing in Virginia with 25 years of experience. She helps people facing anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy concerns, addictions, and stress. She also supports those coping with grief, trauma and abuse, ADHD, and career or parenting strain.
Mary uses a narrative-informed approach that centers each person's story. Sessions are conversational and practical. She listens for patterns that limit choice and then helps people rewrite those patterns into more helpful stories.
Background and approach
Her style is collaborative and direct. She draws from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to teach skills for emotion regulation and decision-making. Attachment-Based and client-centered ideas guide how she builds trust and explores relational patterns.
Mary describes therapy as a joint process. She blends short-term skill building with deeper narrative work when needed. That can look like learning grounding or coping strategies one week and examining long-held beliefs the next.
She also offers live chat, text messaging, phone sessions, and video calls to fit different needs. Sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, a person clicks Start Therapy, fills a short matching questionnaire, and schedules according to therapist availability.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Addictions, Relationship issues, Intimacy-related issues among the things Mary works with, alongside the areas below.
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Intimacy-related issues
- Self esteem
- Bipolar disorder
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Postpartum depression
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trichotillomania
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Attachment-Based Therapy: Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT): Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Existential Therapy: Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Imago Relationship Therapy: Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Mary directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Mary directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How narrative and evidence-based methods work online
Mary uses Narrative Therapy to help people separate themselves from unhelpful stories. This approach looks at the story a person tells about a problem and then finds alternative, more empowering narratives. It helps with relationship patterns, identity questions, and recurring behaviors.She also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to teach people how to notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them. ACT combines values clarification with simple practices to help people act in ways that matter to them. Attachment-Based ideas guide work on relationship patterns and how early bonds affect current partnerships and trust.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and life context, and together they decide whether narrative work, ACT, CBT, or a mix is the best fit. That collaborative process helps tailor sessions to what actually helps the person move forward.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging offer quick, flexible ways to process between sessions or check progress without scheduling a full appointment.
Common questions about this listing
What concerns does Mary address in sessions?
She works with anxiety, depression, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, trauma and abuse, stress, bipolar concerns, and parenting or career strain.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is collaborative and conversational. She focuses on each person’s story and pairs listening with practical skills work.
What kind of experience does she bring?
Mary has 25 years of clinical experience as a licensed clinical social worker. Her background includes long-term psychotherapy and life coaching work.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is a Virginia LCSW and practices in Virginia.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are offered?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to suit different schedules and preferences.
How is pricing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I start working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Mary are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Mary where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
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