- Emotionally-Focused Therapy
- CBT and DBT skills
- Grief and trauma support
About Mary
Mary Ruhland is an Iowa Licensed Independent Social Worker with 30 years of clinical experience. She works with people facing depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, and self-esteem struggles. Mary often supports those dealing with social isolation, relationship challenges, and major life changes.
She uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy alongside Client-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. In sessions she helps people name difficult emotions, notice patterns, and try new ways of responding. Conversations aim to make feelings easier to understand and act on.
Mary also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy and elements of the Gottman Method when those fit a person’s goals. She offers practical tools for panic, mood concerns, and coping with loss. The work balances emotion-focused exploration with skills for day-to-day relief.
Her approach pays attention to attachment and abandonment themes when they come up. Topics she commonly addresses include body image, communication problems, control issues, and guilt and shame. Mary helps people look at how past hurts influence present choices.
Sessions emphasize straightforward conversation, skill practice, and building clearer ways to ask for needs. Fees vary by location and use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. To begin, choose the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
How Mary applies EFT, CBT and client-centered work online
Mary often blends Emotionally-Focused Therapy with Client-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. EFT focuses on identifying and naming strong emotions and the patterns those feelings create. It can help people understand attachment-related reactions and repeated relationship patterns. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening and letting the client lead the pace of work. It’s useful when someone wants a collaborative, person-led conversation about what matters most. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at thoughts and behaviors and teaches concrete skills to reduce anxiety, manage panic, or shift negative thinking.Finding the right approach is part of the process. Mary will work together with each person to pick which methods fit their goals and preferences. That collaborative decision is revisited as progress unfolds so the direction of sessions matches current needs.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current online options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Many people find that remote sessions let them practice skills between appointments and apply changes directly in daily life.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
30+ years
Listed in
Iowa, South Dakota
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What issues does Mary commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, self-esteem, addictions, intimacy-related issues, eating concerns, anger, and compassion fatigue.
What kind of therapy style does she use?
Mary uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy along with Client-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She may also use Dialectical Behavior Therapy techniques and aspects of the Gottman Method when helpful.
How much experience does she have?
Mary has 30 years of experience working as a clinician in Iowa.
What are her credentials and location?
She is an Iowa LISW and holds the CSW-PIP credential in South Dakota. Her practice is based in Iowa.
Which languages are supported in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and services use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin a first session?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session through the platform.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.