Mary Ruhland, LISW, CSW-PIP

Iowa | Online sessions in Iowa, South Dakota | English | Book with Mary »

Compassionate narrative-guided therapy for adults

Details

Name	Mary Ruhland
Credentials	LISW, CSW-PIP
Based in	Iowa
Licensed in	Iowa, South Dakota
Session format	Online
Languages	English
Years in practice	30

About Mary

Mary Ruhland is a licensed independent social worker with 30 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and addictions. She offers calm, direct support for common parenting and life pressures like grief, low self-esteem, panic attacks, and relationship challenges. Mary works with people who feel isolated or stuck and helps them find practical steps forward.

She often uses Narrative Therapy to help clients reframe their stories and see different possibilities.

Background and approach

Mary also draws on Client-Centered methods to make sessions feel respectful and collaborative. She combines cognitive tools and emotion-focused work to address unhelpful thoughts and painful feelings. Sessions focus on clear, doable goals.

Mary helps clients practice skills for managing panic, reducing shame, or improving communication. She names patterns that keep people stuck and supports small changes that add up over time. Her work includes attention to attachment and abandonment wounds, body image and eating concerns, anger, and forgiveness.

She also supports people through divorce, midlife shifts, and questions about life purpose. Mary holds an LISW - Licensed Independent Social Worker and a CSW-PIP credential. She practices in Iowa and conducts sessions in English.

Online formats include video calls, phone, live chat, and text messaging.

What this therapist works with

Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Grief among the things Mary works with, alongside the areas below.

Approaches listed

Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT): Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
Gottman Method: 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.
Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by Mary among the ways she works.
Internal Family Systems: 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 narrative and evidence-based methods work online

Mary regularly uses Narrative Therapy to help people step back from painful stories and view their lives from a different angle. Narrative work looks at the stories people tell about themselves and helps them identify alternative threads that lead to new choices. She also uses Client-Centered Therapy to keep the work respectful and collaborative, creating space for each person to guide the pace and focus of sessions.

Mary also brings in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques when they help with symptoms like panic, low mood, or unhelpful thinking. CBT provides actionable tools to test thoughts and change behaviors, which pairs well with story-based work that addresses identity and meaning. Together these approaches help with trauma, anxiety, grief, and relationship strains by mixing reflection with practical skill-building.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. Mary will talk with clients about goals, preferences, and what feels most useful, then adapt methods to fit. That collaboration helps people stay engaged and make steady progress.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text messaging. Video works well for in-depth sessions and visual cues. Phone can fit a quick check-in or low-bandwidth needs. Live chat and text are useful for brief updates, skill practice between sessions, or when typing feels easier. These options make it simpler to keep therapy consistent around work, family, and daily life.

Common questions about this listing

What concerns does Mary commonly address?

She helps with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, self-esteem, addictions, and intimacy-related issues. Additional focuses include body image, attachment wounds, panic, and midlife transitions.

What is her therapeutic style like?

Mary combines Narrative Therapy with client-centered care and practical cognitive and emotion-focused techniques. The result is collaborative work that pairs story-focused reflection with skill practice.

How long has she been practicing?

She has three decades of clinical experience working with adults on a wide range of emotional and relational concerns.

Where is Mary licensed and practicing?

She holds an LISW and a CSW-PIP and practices in Iowa. Sessions are conducted in English.

Can people outside the U.S. work with her?

International clients are not currently accepted. Sessions are offered to people located where her Iowa licensure applies.

What session formats are available?

She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different needs and schedules.

How are sessions paid for?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working with Mary?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button and completing a short matching questionnaire. After matching, 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.

Book with Mary »

Or see other therapists in Iowa »

This is a partner link. We will earn a commission if you sign up through it, at no cost to you. It does not change what you pay or the order of the listings.