- Client-centered methods
- Mindfulness practices
- Somatic work
About Mary
Mary Blair is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in South Dakota with 18 years of clinical experience. She has worked as a psychotherapist, consultant, and chaplain in hospice and hospital settings. Her practice addresses grief and loss, life transitions, anxiety, depression, trauma history, relationships, parenting concerns, and related issues.
Mary blends several therapy approaches in her work. She uses client-centered methods that let the person guide sessions. She also draws on psychodynamic ideas to look at patterns that repeat over time and somatic practices that include attention to bodily experience.
Her background includes hospice and hospital chaplaincy, which informs how she supports people facing end-of-life concerns and serious illness. That experience also shaped her work with grief, caregiving strain, and compassion fatigue. She has spent much of her career helping people navigate major life changes and losses.
In sessions she aims to notice both feelings and physical reactions. She helps people name emotions, track recurring relationship patterns, and try small experiments between sessions. The focus is practical: clearer communication, coping skills for stress and anxiety, and managing grief and depression symptoms so day-to-day life feels more manageable.
Mary also works with issues such as abandonment, attachment problems, career stress, and intimacy-related concerns. She includes trauma-informed practices and somatic techniques when they fit the person's needs. For young adults, she can help with early-career stress, relationship shifts, and the sense of feeling behind where peers seem to be.
How her approaches translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on following the person's lead and building understanding through listening and reflection. Online sessions let the therapist hear your concerns and respond in a way that fits your pace and goals. Mindfulness Therapy uses simple attention practices to notice thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations; these exercises can be guided in session and practiced between meetings to help with anxiety and stress.Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. Mary will talk with each person about what feels useful, try methods in session, and adjust based on how well they help meet goals. The focus is on working together to find what helps most for the issues you bring, whether that is relationship patterns, grief, or stress management.
Confirm the specific session formats before booking, since the profile does not list them. Online work can make fitting therapy into a busy schedule easier and support shorter check-ins when time is limited. It also allows for guided mindfulness or somatic exercises during a session and practical planning between meetings to apply new communication or coping skills in everyday life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
18+ years
Listed in
South Dakota
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with grief, life transitions, anxiety, depression, relationship and parenting concerns, trauma and related issues including compassion fatigue and end-of-life matters.
How would she describe her therapy style?
Her approach is client-centered and collaborative, using psychodynamic ideas and somatic techniques to notice patterns and bodily responses in sessions.
How long has she been practicing?
She has 18 years of experience as a psychotherapist, consultant, and hospice and hospital chaplain.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is an LPC licensed in South Dakota and practices from that state.
Does she run sessions in other languages or accept international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
Confirm the current session options before booking, as specific formats are not listed in the profile.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Online talk therapy through BetterHelp is for adults aged 18 and over and is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Find someone else by name.