Our Staff: Mary Thomas

Mary Thomas, MA

Registered MFT Intern, IMF #52919
Supervised by Scott Eaton, MA
Marriage and Family Therapist, #MFC23906

The Way I Work

I offer a warm, grounded, collaborative approach to therapy. At the heart of my work is the understanding that when we feel loved and secure, we then feel intrinsically supported to be ourselves, and participate more fully in relationship. Accordingly, I work to help you transform the various ways trauma and/or attachment wounds keep you from actualizing your potential and experiencing fulfilling relationships.

In many ways, I see my role as a therapist analogous to a good parent, who provides a safe, secure place from which to explore and transform whatever personal or relational issues you want to work on. I have a special interest in helping couples breakthrough difficult or even painful patterns to experience greater understanding, connection and intimacy in their relationships. And in helping individuals understand and transform attachment and trauma symptoms so you can experience greater life fulfillment.

The specific way I work offers a mindfulness-based, mind-body (somatic) approach. This means bringing attention to the subtle, physical and energetic tensions you experience as well as what needs to be spoken, felt and understood through attuned conversation and inquiry. Many who have done traditional talk therapy find this approach to be a much more direct, effective method for generating meaningful and lasting change.

I enjoy working with couples, youth, adults and groups; and I am LGBT friendly. Sessions can also include movement, drawing, active imagination, sand tray, as well as grounding/resourcing exercises and meditation.

Areas of focus

I work with a range of issues, including:

• Couple and marital intimacy
• Relational communication
• Low self-esteem and self-worth
• Anxiety and overwhelm
• Trauma recovery and healing
• PTSD
• Attunement and attachment trauma
• Procrastination
• ADHD, ADD, OCD
• Life transitions and finding meaningful work
• Existential inquiry
• Spiritual integration and development
• Chronic or terminal illness
• Grief and Loss (grieving mindfully)

Experience and Training

I specialize in an integrative approach informed by my extensive training and experience in the Hakomi (body-centered) Method, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Transpersonal and Relational Therapies, as well as cutting edge somatic approaches to working with trauma. Additionally, I am a serious meditation practitioner and student of Advaita Vedanta and Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhism, since 1995.

I have been practicing mind-body integrated psychotherapy for over 10 years. I have a Masters degree in Psychology from Argosy University. My interests in spirituality, nature, imagination, story and metaphor, alchemy, movement, and the arts are strong influences in my approach to psychotherapy.

In addition to my private practice, I am a Master Life and ADHD Coach, with over 10 years professional experience, having received my training, in 1999, through the Coaches Training Institute.

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3101 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705    Phone: (510) 649-9818
Clinical director is Stuart Sovatsky, PhD, MFT Licensed #MFC 19173.