01 · Who Marykate works with

Marykate works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and self esteem

Marykate lists 5 specialisms and 5 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Marykate chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Marykate's own words

What Marykate says about the work

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

Hi, I'm Marykate Pfeifer, LICSW. Therapy can feel overwhelming, especially when anxiety, stress, or self-doubt weigh on you. I work with teens and adults who seem composed outwardly but feel drained and confused on the inside. My goal is to help make therapy approachable, practical, and supportive.

I use Solution-Focused Therapy to help you manage anxious thoughts, reduce overwhelming feelings, build confidence, improve boundaries, and feel more grounded. I bring a fresh, attentive presence and practical tools you can use in daily life. I have a background in Foster Care, Kinship Care and Adoption as well as insight into first time parenting and fostering. I enjoy working with teens and adults going through new experiences such as navigating new jobs, college, parenting and family dynamics.

Marykate Pfeifer, on the BetterHelp listing · read 6 Nov 2026

03 · How Marykate works

The 1 approach Marykate lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Marykate lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Marykate'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 Marykate runs a session.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Marykate 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 Marykate'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 Marykate at this point.

2. Naming Marykate specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Marykate 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 Marykate.

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 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LICSW

Licensed in

District of Columbia

Licence

DC LICSW LC200004399

Licence number

LC200004399

Licence expires

31 Oct 2028

NPI

1386540094

Years in practice

3

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

31 Oct 2026

06 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Marykate'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 6 Nov 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 Marykate. 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.