About Mary
Mary "Jane" Poulson is a licensed counselor with three decades of experience in behavioral health. She uses a straightforward, down-to-earth style to help people manage anxiety, depression, stress, and life transitions. Jane aims to create a space where clients feel heard and can learn practical tools for coping.
Jane earned a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology and has practiced in Washington for many years as an LPC and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
Background and approach
Her background includes long clinical experience across mood disorders, trauma, grief, and attention concerns. In sessions she mixes talk therapy with hands-on skills. Clients may work on changing unhelpful thoughts, building emotional regulation, or learning mindfulness to ease distress.
She also uses motivational interviewing to support change around habits and addictive behaviors. Her approach is collaborative and educational. Jane describes herself as a facilitator who helps people set goals, try practical strategies, and track what works.
She adapts methods to each person rather than using a single formula. Jane has particular experience with parenting challenges, relationship communication, caregiver stress, chronic health issues, and identity concerns related to LGBT topics. She also supports people coping with grief, job strain, and life changes.
Her goal is to help people build skills they can use outside of sessions. People who prefer clear guidance and short-term skill-building often find her approach useful. She offers sessions in English and works with adults over a wide range of life concerns.
How therapeutic approaches shape online sessions
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and responding to each person's experience. The therapist follows the client's lead, offers empathy, and helps people clarify their goals and values. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going and teaches practical techniques to change them, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and many everyday struggles.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, try methods, and adjust based on what helps most. That collaborative process means techniques may change over time as needs and preferences become clearer.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and skill demonstrations. Phone sessions can be a good fit when bandwidth is limited or for a quieter option. Live chat or text messaging supports quick check-ins, short reflections, or ongoing support between longer sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or busy daily routines and let people choose what feels most practical for them.
Questions people ask
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What this counselor works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Avoidant personality
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Sleeping disorders
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 30 years
- Licensed
- Washington, Oregon
- Languages
- English