- 20 years experience
- English and Spanish
- Focus on sleep
About Mary
Mary McLaggan is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who focuses on helping people facing stress, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and life changes. She approaches sessions with sensitivity and respect and aims to tailor conversations and plans to each person's needs. With 20 years of experience, she supports people working through ADHD concerns, relationship strain, grief, and career or parenting stress.
Mary keeps work straightforward and practical. She listens first, then helps clients set small goals and try new tools. Sessions often include talking through thoughts and behaviors, practicing calming skills, and making step-by-step plans for better daily routines, including improving sleep and rest where that is a concern.
Her approach draws from client-centered work that keeps the client’s priorities in focus, attachment-based ideas about how relationships shape feelings, and cognitive behavioral tools for shifting unhelpful thinking. She also uses techniques from dialectical behavior therapy and existential work when they fit the person’s goals. Mary adapts methods to each client rather than following one fixed plan.
Mary works in Iowa and speaks English and Spanish. Her credentials include LPC and Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). She emphasizes a collaborative relationship - the client and therapist decide together what to try and when to change course.
Starting therapy usually begins with a short matching questionnaire and scheduling a first appointment. Mary explains options, answers questions about the process, and helps clients set a manageable first goal for therapy.
Approaches that translate well to online work
Attachment-based work looks at how relationships shape feelings and patterns. Online sessions can be a place to notice how past and current connections influence sleep, stress, and daily routines. Client-centered therapy focuses on the person's priorities and pacing; the therapist follows the client's lead and helps set achievable goals for rest, mood, and coping. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, behaviors, and feelings and teaches practical exercises to change patterns. CBT tools can help with insomnia habits, anxious thinking, and setting routines that support better sleep.Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will collaborate with the client to pick methods that match the client's goals, needs, and preferences, and will adjust strategies as progress is made.
Confirm session formats before booking so you know what is offered currently. Many people find online work helps fit therapy into a busy week, allows shorter check-ins when needed, and makes it easier to practice skills between sessions. Online meetings can reduce travel time, make scheduling more flexible, and let clients focus on tools for sleep and daily routines in real life. Talk with the therapist during the first meeting about pacing, goals, and how to use sessions to support better rest and coping.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
20+ years
Credentials
Texas, Iowa
Languages
English, Spanish
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does Mary address?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, sleeping and rest issues, ADHD, relationship and parenting challenges, grief, trauma, and related concerns.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Sessions are collaborative and practical, using listening, goal setting, and concrete skills practice to help clients make changes that fit their daily lives.
What is her background and clinical experience?
Mary has 20 years of professional experience working with a range of emotional and behavioral concerns and life transitions.
Which credentials and region apply to her practice?
She holds LPC and LMHC credentials and provides services based in Iowa.
What languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish.
Are online or remote session formats available?
Confirm current session options before booking to know which formats Mary is offering at the time you schedule.
How does cost and billing work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin working together?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.