Mary Clifford, LPC

Mary Clifford is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Arizona with eight years of clinical experience. She focuses on helping people who feel overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, substance concerns, anger, or mood challenges. She believes clients bring strengths and knowledge about their own lives and that small steps can lead to meaningful change.

Mary uses straightforward, skills-based methods in session. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people recognize unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors. She also incorporates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and mindfulness practices to help people notice difficult feelings without getting stuck in them.

Sessions are practical and collaborative. Mary works with each person to set clear, achievable goals and to build coping tools that fit daily life. She often uses brief exercises in session and homework between meetings to reinforce new skills.

Her background includes work with people facing complex issues such as bipolar disorder, obsessive thoughts and compulsions, personality challenges, and first responder stress. She also supports concerns related to gender dysphoria, intellectual disability, hospice and end-of-life issues, and relationship or family stress when individuals seek help for those topics.

Mary offers sessions in English and provides care through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Therapy is provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. To begin, a short matching questionnaire is completed and appointments are scheduled based on therapist availability.

How evidence-based approaches fit into online care

Mary commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors. CBT breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions so you can try clearer, more effective responses. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is also part of her work and focuses on noticing difficult feelings while clarifying personal values and committed actions. ACT can be useful for lingering anxiety, depression, and life transitions where meaning matters.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or hasn't worked before, and then tailor methods to fit the person's needs. Clients and the therapist review progress and adjust strategy over time rather than sticking rigidly to one method.

Online sessions make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction for skills practice, phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited, and live chat or text-based messaging work well for brief check-ins or when journaling thoughts in the moment is helpful. These options give flexibility for scheduling, shorter or longer contacts, and different ways to practice therapeutic exercises between meetings.