Mary "Jane" Poulson, LPC, LMHC

Mary "Jane" Poulson is a licensed counselor with 30 years of experience in behavioral health. She uses a practical, down-to-earth approach to help people manage anxiety, depression, stress, and life transitions. Jane aims to make the first steps toward help feel simpler and less overwhelming.

Jane works with adults and adolescents, drawing on a broad clinical background developed over three decades. She focuses on concrete skills people can use between sessions, such as coping strategies for panic, sleep routines, and ways to handle work-related stress. Sessions often mix gentle teaching with guided practice so clients leave with usable tools.

Her training includes a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Gonzaga University and undergraduate studies in psychology at the University of Oregon. She holds the LPC credential and the LMHC credential in Washington and has provided long-term clinical care in community and clinical settings.

Jane’s style is interactive and supportive. She leans on client-centered listening while using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, dialectical behavior skills, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused methods as needed. The work is collaborative and tailored to each person’s goals and pace.

Typical concerns she addresses include trauma and abuse, grief, parenting stress, relationship and communication problems, addictions, ADHD, bipolar mood issues, chronic pain and illness, and caregiver strain. Jane emphasizes small, steady steps that add up to meaningful change.

How Jane uses evidence-based methods online

Jane commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and client-centered approaches when working online. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors to reduce anxiety or depression symptoms, often with homework between sessions. Client-centered work emphasizes listening, validation, and building the client’s own problem-solving strengths to guide change.

She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills when helpful, teaching emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness techniques. These skills are practical and can be practiced between appointments to help manage strong emotions and improve communication.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the process and is decided together. The therapist and client review goals, try strategies, and adjust methods based on what feels useful. This collaborative planning helps ensure the work aligns with each person’s needs and preferences.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video is useful for in-depth conversations and skill demonstrations, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and messaging or live chat can support quick check-ins or shorter exchanges between appointments. These options let people fit sessions into busy schedules and keep steady momentum toward their goals.