Mary Buntin

Mary Buntin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 40 years of professional experience. She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, grief, depression, compassion fatigue, and coping with life changes. Mary pays special attention to the challenges that come with aging and retirement transitions. She also supports caregivers facing the strain of caring for someone with degenerative illness and people living with chronic pain or disability.

Her work centers on helping people notice their strengths and build on them. She encourages practical steps clients can try between sessions. Mary talks through emotions, life changes, and the small shifts that can improve daily life. She emphasizes self-acceptance and finding ways to reconnect with things that bring meaning.

Mary has long experience supporting people through major life transitions such as retirement and midlife shifts. She also addresses isolation, guilt and shame, forgiveness, and learning to practice self-love after loss or long-term stress. Her approach is steady and focused on empowerment rather than quick fixes.

Clients can expect straightforward conversations about what matters most to them. Mary helps identify realistic goals and supports progress at a manageable pace. She offers guidance grounded in decades of practice and aims to make change feel reachable.

Beginning therapy is framed as a courageous step. Mary invites people to explore what they value, identify strengths, and take practical actions toward a more fulfilling life.

Approaches that fit life transition work

Mary uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques focused on practical change and emotional processing. One common approach helps people process grief and loss by naming feelings, remembering what matters, and developing daily routines that provide stability during transitions. This work often helps with mourning and adjusting to new roles.

Another approach centers on building strengths and self-compassion. It involves identifying personal resources, practicing small behavioral changes, and shifting self-talk to reduce guilt and shame. This can be useful for people feeling isolated, overwhelmed, or stuck in chronic stress.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapy process. The therapist collaborates with each person to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences. Together they try strategies, review what helps, and adjust the plan over time so the work stays relevant and manageable.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the current session options before booking as formats are not specified here. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, or remove travel time around medical appointments and caregiving duties. Discussing practical scheduling needs at the start helps shape sessions that fit daily life.