- Years in practice
- 25
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Licensed in
- California, New York
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Grief
About Mary
Mary Kay Zayani is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 25 years of experience who helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship struggles, parenting challenges, and life changes. She offers calm, direct support for parents and individuals who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure what to try next.
Mary Kay works in a warm, nonjudgmental way and focuses on practical steps you can use between sessions. Her style centers on listening first.
Background and approach
She helps clients name what feels most urgent, then stabilizes emotions and builds small skills for everyday life. Sessions often include noticing unhelpful thinking patterns and trying new ways of responding to triggers. The goal is clearer choices rather than quick fixes.
Mary Kay draws on attachment-based and client-centered ideas to improve relationships and emotional safety. She also uses cognitive behavioral tools to identify and change thought patterns that feed anxiety or low mood. When emotions run high, she brings in techniques from dialectical behavior therapy to help regulate feelings and reduce overwhelm.
Her work is practical and conversational. She helps with grief, career transitions, intimacy issues, addictions, body image, self-esteem, and parenting concerns among other topics. Clients can expect a steady presence and concrete strategies tailored to their life and goals.
Based in California, she holds LCSW credentials. Sessions are offered in English and delivered online by video, phone, live chat, or text messaging. To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a time that fits their needs.
What Mary works with
Everything Mary lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Mary helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Grief
- Career difficulties
- Coaching
- Addictions
- Family conflicts
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Body image
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Divorce and separation
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
Approaches Mary lists
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Existential Therapy
- Jungian Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How Mary Kay’s Approaches Work Online
Mary Kay uses attachment-based and client-centered approaches alongside cognitive behavioral tools to help with emotional and relationship concerns. Attachment-based work looks at how early relationship patterns shape current reactions and helps people build more supported ways of relating. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening, validation, and following the client’s own priorities to find solutions that fit their life. Cognitive behavioral techniques target specific thoughts and behaviors that contribute to anxiety, low mood, or parenting stress, offering clear exercises to try between sessions.Deciding which approach to use is collaborative. She will talk with the client about goals, what has helped or not helped before, and what feels most useful in day-to-day life. Together they choose strategies and adjust them as progress is made so the work stays practical and relevant.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video allows face-to-face conversation and body language cues. Phone calls can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to use video. Live chat and text messaging work well for brief check-ins, skill practice, or when a written exchange fits a person’s schedule. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy family and work routines.
Questions people ask about Mary
What concerns does she help with?
She helps people cope with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy problems, parenting concerns, career transitions, addictions, and body image or self-esteem struggles.
What is her therapy style like?
Her style is warm and nonjudgmental, with practical steps you can use between sessions. She listens first, then helps clients test new ways of thinking and behaving.
How much experience does she have?
Mary Kay has 25 years of experience in counseling and mental health practice.
What are her credentials and where is she located?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and practices from California with licensing in New York and California noted.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the U.S. work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
She works online using video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
How does the cost and scheduling work?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability and is billed through a subscription that can be canceled at any time; to begin, complete the short matching questionnaire and schedule a session.
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