About Mara
Mara Chiles is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who practices in New York. She helps people navigate stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship problems, addiction concerns, parenting strain, and career questions. Her approach aims to make therapy feel straightforward and usable for everyday life.
Mara draws on 22 years of experience in counseling and social work. She listens actively and responds with compassion. She looks for strengths people already have, then helps set clear, realistic goals to build on those strengths.
Background and approach
In sessions she uses methods from cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodynamic work, along with client-centered and narrative ideas. That means she will help identify patterns in thinking and behavior, and also pay attention to personal stories that shape how someone sees themselves. She also incorporates mindfulness practices to help with stress and emotional regulation.
She also brings practical social work skills to sessions. That can include connecting people with community resources or services when that would help. Her focus is on a holistic plan that supports both immediate coping and longer term change.
Mara presents therapy as a collaborative process. She encourages small steps and steady progress. The pace and focus depend on each person's needs and goals, and she works together with people to create a plan that fits their life.
Therapeutic approaches for online care
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and understanding each person's experience, helping people feel heard while they decide what changes to make. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect and teaches practical skills to manage anxiety, depression, or stress. Mindfulness therapy offers simple attention practices that reduce reactivity and help with emotional regulation, useful for overwhelm and grief.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has helped or not helped in the past. Together they will choose methods that match the person's needs and adjust as progress is made.
Online sessions offer flexibility for busy lives. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation for skills work and deeper talk. Phone sessions can fit into a short break and need less bandwidth. Live chat and text messaging make it possible to check in between sessions or use brief written coaching when that suits someone better. These options help people fit therapy into work, caregiving, or other obligations while keeping the focus on practical change.
Frequently asked questions
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What is her therapeutic style like?
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Grief
Also works with
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Cancer
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Intellectual disability
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 22 years
- Licensed
- New York
- Languages
- English