Mary Whittaker is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, art therapist, and Certified Yoga Instructor, having obtained her Masters of Arts in Social Work with a specialization in Children and Youth Mental Health from the University of Denver. She is an empathic and mindful clinician who respects all ages, races, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, physical abilities, and financial status.
Mary’s prior experience includes working in community mental health centers, juvenile justice residential programs, and school settings where she worked with children, adolescents and families from diverse populations and backgrounds. She has experience supporting those struggling with depression, anxiety, mood disorders, ADHD, bullying, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in young children, parental skills coaching and education, familial conflict, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, bereavement and complex grief, low self-esteem, divorce transition, anger management, self-harm, suicidal ideation, sexual and gender identity struggles, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and complex trauma.
Mary utilizes various counseling techniques, tailors them to each client, and believes in treating the “whole” person, including mind, body, and spirit. She incorporates modalities such as play therapy (directive and non-directive), Art Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT informed), yoga and mindfulness, Sand Tray, traditional talk therapy, and Experiential Therapy. Mary strongly believes in the healing qualities of moving the body and connecting the mind and spirit. She integrates outdoor elements (walk and talk therapy, playing games and exploring the outdoors, and making art with outdoor materials) to allow individuals to reconnect with themselves, with other humans, and with our earth, and come to feel capable and empowered to make meaningful changes in their lives.