Mary Stein , LMFT

Mary Stein is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) based in California with 27 years of clinical experience. She earned a Master of Counseling from Phillips Graduate Institute and became licensed in 1999. Over the course of her career she has worked in private practice and served as a clinical supervisor in adolescent residential programs, as well as providing services at a domestic violence agency. Her practice has included work with individuals, couples, and families navigating anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addictions, grief, and a range of life transitions.

Mary brings a warm, accepting, and interactive style to therapy, emphasizing respect, kindness, and positive feedback. She partners with clients to explore the circumstances that led them to seek help and then collaboratively determines methods and tools suited to each person or family. Her approach is rooted in compassion and a focus on strengthening clients abilities to build healthier, more fulfilling relationships and daily lives.

Mary practices from a humanistic foundation that honors each person’s strengths and goals, and she also integrates cognitive and existential perspectives when appropriate. She views therapeutic work as a privilege and values the opportunity to support growth, self-awareness, and healing that often extends to the wider circles of clients lives.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care with Mary Stein

Mary Stein commonly integrates client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and existential therapy into her online practice. Client-centered therapy focuses on building an accepting, collaborative relationship that honors where a person is in life and leverages strengths to set and reach personal goals. Cognitive behavioral therapy involves identifying unhelpful thinking patterns, learning practical skills to manage emotions, and using problem-solving techniques to change behaviors that cause difficulty. Existential therapy helps clients explore meaning, values, and personal choices to clarify direction and take ownership of life decisions.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Mary works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods best fit their needs, goals, and preferences. Together they tailor interventions and pace to match the client’s priorities.

Online sessions via video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging offer flexibility for people balancing work, family, and other commitments. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care, fit therapy into busy schedules, and access licensed professionals from different settings, while preserving the therapeutic relationship and collaborative work that foster change.