Mary Ann Yarbrough, LCSW

Mary Ann Yarbrough, LCSW, helps people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, parenting strains, low self-esteem, relationship concerns, and addiction challenges. She offers a calm, nonjudgmental presence for people who need to talk, vent, or work through painful experiences. Mary Ann emphasizes listening first and following each person's lead in therapy. She practices in Connecticut and brings six years of clinical experience. Mary Ann focuses on building trust and a genuine connection so clients feel heard. She aims to help people identify inner strengths and use those strengths to move forward. In sessions she centers the person’s goals and pays attention to practical coping skills. She draws from client-centered approaches that prioritize the client's perspective and from cognitive behavioral methods to spot unhelpful thinking and try new behaviors. Mindfulness and dialectical skills are used to manage strong emotions and reduce reactivity. Mary Ann also uses solution-focused ideas to set small, achievable steps toward change. She pays attention to supports in a person’s life and helps strengthen those supports when possible. Her work often includes addressing issues such as grief, body image, attachment and the stresses that come with caregiving. Her style is warm and straightforward. She invites people to bring what matters most to them and to set the pace for change. To begin, visitors can choose the continue button on this profile, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

Approaches you might use in online sessions

Client-centered work focuses on the person's experience and priorities. The therapist listens, follows the client's lead, and helps people discover their own strengths to solve problems and make changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors connect. It helps people notice unhelpful thinking patterns and try practical steps to change reactions to stressful situations. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, offers skills for managing strong emotions and improving communication. It teaches techniques for distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and clearer interactions when feelings run high. Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work together with the client to decide which methods fit best based on goals, priorities, and day-to-day needs. This collaborative planning can change as progress is made. If you are considering online therapy, confirm the session formats available before booking since specific formats are not listed in the biography. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. It can also let people choose options that suit their comfort with video or phone and match the practical needs of their schedule.