01 · Who Mara works with

Mara works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and grief

Mara lists 11 specialisms and 33 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Mara chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Mara's own words

What Mara says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who practices in New York . I am a graduate from Hunter School Of Social Work in New York City. I have counseled a variety of people within the past 20 years. I have worked with issues related to depression, anxiety, grief and loss, life transitions , parenting issues as well as relationship conflicts. I have also assisted many people dealing with aging parents. As a Social Worker I not only counsel to empower individuals but I connect people to systems and resources to provide ongoing support.

My counseling style combines active listening along with interactive compassion and empathy. I like to access an individuals strengths and then form goals that we agree on from there. I use cognitive behavioral therapy as well as a psycho -analytical approach. I have done Christian based therapy also. My focus is a holistic approach to empower the individual for long term success.

It is not easy making change but when we realize that we are "all work in progress" it sometimes makes it a little easier to seek help to assist us in being the best we can be! I look forward to connecting with you.

Mara Chiles, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Mara works

The 5 approaches Mara lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Mara lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Mara's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Mara runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Narrative Therapy

Treats the story you tell about your life as something that can be examined and retold rather than as the plain facts. Separates the person from the problem - “the anxiety” rather than “your anxiety” - to make room for the parts the current story leaves out.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Works on the assumption that current patterns - in relationships, at work, in how you treat yourself - have a history, and that seeing the history loosens the pattern. Less structured than CBT, usually longer, and more interested in what comes up unbidden than in a weekly agenda.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Mara practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Mara's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Mara at this point.

2. Naming Mara specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Mara is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Mara.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Mara

Built from what Mara actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Mara's - Mara has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 22 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCSW

Licensed in

New York

Licence

NY LCSW R055834-1

Licence number

R055834-1

Licence expires

31 Jul 2029

NPI

1134761034

Years in practice

22

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Mara's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Mara. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.