Mary Van Hooser (LISW)

I have a wide variety of experience in working with people who are feeling discouraged, overwhelmed and traumatized and are in need of support and coping skills. I also work with people with more serious and chronic mental health disorders by giving them support and encouragement to live in the community and live their life to the fullest. My approach is to help a person talk about their mental health at their own pace, what helps them feel safe and calm and how to do this in a way that makes them feel less stigmatized and gain support and strength through sharing their experience. I also enjoy working with family members of people that are in recovery for a serious mental illness. I have my own lived experience and feel it makes me more empathetic and understanding as a practitioner. I also am a veteran and can work with veterans by understanding some of their culture. I have been a social worker in the field of mental health for 35 plus years but more importantly I am a spouse, mother, sibling and co worker. I have experienced a lot including severe mental illness with a sibling, drug addiction with a family member, LGBTQ and teenage years. These are all people I love and have learned that life comes at people of all walks of life and I am very non judgmental because of that. I am good at putting myself in others shoes and have experienced first hand the stigma, stereotypes and misinformation people from all walks of like can encounter. My approach to helping others is to listen and explore current and past history to help gain insight and put problem solving, client-centered solutions into place. I am seen as having a calming influence on others and generally am able to get others to open up and share their concerns. I am a very open transparent person and I look forward to working with people from all walks of life. Please consider me in your selection of a therapist and I will work hard to assist you in overcoming hardships and obstacles to reach a happier more fulfilling place in your life.