- Stress and anxiety
- Trauma and ADHD
- LGBT concerns
About Mary
Mary Alfinito is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW-R) in New York with 40 years of professional experience. She helps people manage stress, worry, grief, and depression, and she supports those facing challenges related to ADHD, trauma, and LGBT concerns. She aims to make the first step into therapy feel manageable and respectful.
Mary uses clear, down-to-earth language in sessions. She focuses on practical skills people can try between appointments. Conversations cover coping strategies, ways to handle difficult feelings, and steps toward daily routines that feel more manageable.
Her background includes long experience across a wide range of life difficulties. Over four decades she has worked with individuals dealing with addiction, learning differences, developmental and physical disabilities, and relationship conflicts. That breadth informs how she tailors support to each person’s situation.
In sessions she encourages honest talk about thoughts and feelings without judgment. She helps clients name what matters to them and set small, realistic goals. Techniques often come from approaches that address thinking patterns, emotion regulation, and processing difficult experiences.
Mary also attends to issues like body image, caregiver stress, attachment and abandonment concerns, and the effects of chronic illness and pain. She supports people navigating career stress and life changes and offers coaching-style guidance when clients want practical steps toward change.
How her approaches guide online care
Mary uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and test new ways of thinking. CBT often includes simple exercises and behavior changes that can be practiced between sessions to reduce anxiety and depression.She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy techniques for emotion regulation and stress tolerance. DBT skills teach concrete ways to handle intense feelings and improve communication in stressful work or life situations.
Trauma-Focused Therapy helps people process past hurt in a paced way. That approach supports steps toward feeling more grounded after traumatic events and can be matched to each person’s readiness.
Picking the right approach is a joint process. Mary will talk with clients about goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as needed.
Confirm the current session formats before booking, as the profile does not list them. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. These practical benefits often help people maintain regular work and wellbeing routines while getting therapeutic support.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
40+ years
Credentials
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Mary commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, grief, depression, ADHD, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, career-related strain, and LGBT-related issues, along with many related life struggles.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Sessions are straightforward and practical. She focuses on clear skills, emotion regulation, and steps people can try between meetings.
What is her professional background?
Mary has 40 years of professional experience and has worked with people facing addiction, developmental differences, learning disabilities, and relationship conflict.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds the LCSW-R credential and practices in New York.
Which languages are supported and do you accept international clients?
Sessions are offered in English. She is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as the biography does not list specific formats.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.