Mary Gales-Wenz, LICSW

Mary Gales-Wenz is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with four decades of experience. She uses clear, practical methods to help people manage stress, anxiety, addiction, trauma, grief, and mood challenges. Mary speaks plainly and focuses on what a person can do day to day to feel steadier.

She draws on cognitive behavioral ideas to help people notice thoughts and try different responses. Her work also includes client-centered and mindfulness approaches that slow things down and help people feel heard. Mary has long experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings, so she is familiar with a broad range of care environments.

Much of her career was with the Department of Veterans Affairs in St. Cloud and Minneapolis, where she provided mental health care in hospitals and clinics. She later worked with Hazelden Center for Youth and Families and Allina Behavioral Health Clinics, and she has experience supervising residential treatment programs and working with insurance behavioral health systems.

Mary has treated adults, seniors, and adolescents in chemical dependency and mental health settings. She has worked with post-traumatic stress, sexual and physical trauma, depression, and addiction concerns among others. She also pays attention to the mind-body connection and how physical health interacts with mood and behavior.

In recent years she has kept a small private practice while updating her skills with current research and approaches. She mentions experience with Accelerated Resolution Therapy as one method she uses to help people process emotional and cognitive memories.

Working with CBT, Mindfulness, and Client-Centered Care Online

Mary commonly uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. CBT focuses on practical exercises and short-term goals that can be practiced between sessions.

She also draws on client-centered therapy, which emphasizes listening and reflecting so people feel understood and can set their own goals. Mindfulness therapy is used to slow racing thoughts, develop present-moment awareness, and reduce emotional reactivity, which can help with trauma-related symptoms and chronic stress.

Finding the best approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences and adapt methods together, trying tools and adjusting based on what helps most. Over time the plan can shift to match changing needs.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide practical flexibility. Video lets you work face to face; phone calls can be easier when bandwidth is limited; chat or messaging can fit short check-ins or people who prefer writing. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, medical care, or family routines while using the approaches described above.