Mary Cabarles, LCSW
Compassionate, practical support for life changes
Details
| Name | Mary Cabarles |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LCSW |
| Based in | California |
| Licensed in | California |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 18 |
About Mary
Mary Cabarles is a licensed clinical social worker in California who offers steady, practical support for people facing stress, anxiety, trauma, and life transitions. She listens without rushing and helps people find manageable next steps. Her tone is practical and down-to-earth, aimed at parents and adults trying to get through a hard patch.
Mary has 18 years of post-graduate experience in social work. Her background includes work in group homes, residential programs, job coaching, and services for people experiencing homelessness.
Background and approach
She has also supported people affected by domestic violence, trauma, and substance use, and she has worked in criminal justice and public sector settings. She brings experience across the lifespan, including work with school-aged children, adolescents, adults, and older adults in hospice settings.
That range informs how she thinks about change over time and the small steps people can take toward feeling more stable. In her independent practice she created space for people dealing with rising stress from job shifts, caregiving demands, displacement, racial stress, and other pandemic-era challenges. She helps clients name what feels unmanageable and make simple plans for coping and recovery.
Mary uses Narrative approaches alongside methods such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Attachment-Based work, client-centered listening, and cognitive behavioral techniques. She focuses on building strengths, clarifying values, and shifting unhelpful patterns one step at a time.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Trauma and abuse, Self esteem, Compassion fatigue among the things Mary works with, alongside the areas below.
- Trauma and abuse
- Self esteem
- Compassion fatigue
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Career difficulties
- Coping with life changes
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dependent personality
- Divorce and separation
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Multicultural concerns
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Attachment-Based Therapy: Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Existential Therapy: Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Mary directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Mary directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How her approaches work online
Mary often draws on Narrative Therapy to help people rethink the stories they tell about themselves and their problems. This approach helps when past events or repeated patterns feel stuck and you want to rewrite a less painful version of what happened.She also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which focuses on clarifying personal values and taking committed actions even when difficult feelings remain. ACT can be useful for anxiety, stress, and making life changes that matter. Attachment-Based work looks at how early relationship patterns show up now and helps people build safer ways of relating and setting boundaries.
Finding the best approach is a team effort. Mary will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has helped or not helped in the past. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as progress is made.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video works well for in-depth conversations and exercises. Phone can be simpler when bandwidth or camera time is limited. Chat or messaging is useful for brief check-ins, coaching-style support, or when someone prefers writing over speaking. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, and busy schedules.
Common questions about this listing
What kinds of concerns does Mary help with?
She works with trauma and abuse, stress, anxiety, addictions, grief, self-esteem, relationship and intimacy issues, LGBT concerns, career shifts, and coping with life changes.
What is Mary’s overall approach in sessions?
She blends Narrative perspectives with acceptance-based and cognitive methods. Sessions focus on telling and reworking life stories, clarifying values, and practicing small behavior changes.
How much professional experience does she have?
Mary has 18 years of post-graduate experience in social work across settings like group homes, residential care, job coaching, homelessness services, and public sector work.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - LCSW - licensed in California and practices from that state.
Which languages are supported and can international clients be seen?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
Mary offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and communication preferences.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with Mary?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Mary are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Mary where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
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