- ACT and CBT
- Attachment focus
- Emotion regulation skills
About Mary
Mary Blankenburg is an Iowa LISW with 35 years of clinical experience. She has worked across community mental health, adolescent services, and private practice. Mary sees people who struggle with anxiety, depression, trauma, anger, and related life stresses.
Her work centers on building a steady therapeutic relationship as the starting point. She listens to personal histories and looks at how feelings and past events affect today's behavior. Mary blends talk and movement in simple ways to help people notice how their body and mind react to stress.
She uses several practical approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, cognitive behavioral techniques, and attachment-based ideas. Those methods help people clarify values, change unhelpful patterns, and understand relationship dynamics that keep problems cycling.
Mary also draws from Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills to teach emotion regulation and distress tolerance. Sessions often include noticing physical cues, learning calming practices, and trying new responses in the moment. The focus is on small, usable skills rather than theory alone.
With long experience in both short-term and ongoing work, she helps people tackle issues such as sleep problems, addiction, self-esteem, grief, and career stress. The pace is deliberate and practical. Mary aims to help clients recognize triggers, practice different responses, and build steadier ways of coping with life changes.
How her approaches translate to online work
Mary uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people name their values and take small, committed actions even when emotions are strong. ACT can help with anger, anxiety, and motivation issues by shifting focus from avoidance to what matters most. She also uses Attachment-Based Therapy ideas to explore how early relationship patterns affect current reactions. That approach helps people notice triggers in close relationships and try different, calmer responses. Finding the right approach is part of the work. Mary will talk with clients about their goals, symptoms, and preferences and decide together which methods to try. That collaborative process can include trying a few skills-based tools and checking what feels most useful. Confirm which session formats are offered before booking, because the biography does not list specific options. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - for example, shorter check-ins during a lunch break, or meetings that avoid travel time. They can also let someone work without being on camera if they prefer a lower-bandwidth option. Ask about available formats when scheduling so sessions match practical needs.Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
35+ years
Listed in
Iowa
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she address?
Mary works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, anger, grief, addictions, relationship and family concerns, and related areas listed in her specialties.
What is her therapeutic style?
She emphasizes a steady therapeutic relationship, combines talk with simple movement, and teaches practical skills for managing feelings.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Mary has 35 years of experience in community mental health, adolescent services, and private practice settings.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is an Iowa LISW and practices in Iowa.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English and she does not accept international clients.
Which session formats are available?
Confirm current session options before booking since the biography does not list specific session formats.
How are costs handled?
Cost varies with location, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.