Hello, I'm Mary. Something I find myself saying often is: "it's hard to be human." Life brings so many ups and downs, and our own histories, genetics, circumstances, life events, etc. can impact how we find ourselves functioning from day to day. I am passionate about helping clients discover the tools and frameworks that work for them to meet their own identified goals for their life and decreasing the emotional intensity of symptoms causing barriers to meeting those goals. In 2010, I graduated from the University of Georgia with a Master’s of Social Work and earned my license to practice independently in 2013. I received my Bachelor's of Science in Family & Child Sciences at Florida State University in 2005 and my Doctor of Philosophy in International Conflict Management at Kennesaw State University in 2017. (A bit of a random PhD, I know...my dissertation research was about the relationship between social identity and emotional well-being for service members and veterans in the context of community reintegration.)
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
The first session is typically focused on what has brought you to therapy and your goals of care (it's okay if you're not yet sure what your goals are, though!). I like to spend the first two-three sessions on assessment and background and collaborating with clients to create a treatment plan that will serve as our roadmap for progress towards your goals.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I like to say that my clinical super power is rapport building. I deeply want clients to feel comfortable, safe, heard, and accepted in all of our time together. I hold warmth and positive regard for each person with whom I have the honor to share in a small piece of their journey, and I like to think that this warmth comes across even through video. Because of my blended background in research and practice, I also bring a research-oriented knowledge base to my therapeutic work.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
I have been working as a mental health clinician for over a decade. I primarily work with clients experiencing depression, anxiety, life transitions, stress, and PTSD. I work during business hours for the Department of Veterans Affairs and have served in the Army National Guard since 2014. I have had the pleasure of practicing in many different settings, such as refugee resettlement, with foster families, grief and bereavement therapy, academia, and with UCLA's Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior (working to support healthcare professionals in their own resilience and training mental health providers in evidence-based and trauma- and resilience-informed practices). I now focus on working with adults and use cognitive therapy from a strengths-based, solution-focused perspective to help clients move towards their goals. I believe that the therapeutic relationship is a partnership, where we collaborate to create a treatment plan that works for you, so that you can see the changes in your life that you desire. I feel honored to be a small part of the journey of each person with whom I work, and am excited to see your growth. I currently live in northern Colorado with my preschool son and our elderly pup.
About Mary Fortson
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT has a large base of research and I use aspects of CBT in nearly all of my work. In addition to using CBT, I have participated in adapting and training in evidence-based practices with CBT as a base. This modality is useful to help us understand how our thoughts, behaviors, and feelings interact and reinforce aspects of our functioning.
Attachment-based
Attachment-based therapy is often very useful in helping us understand how we find ourselves in patterns of behaviors in close relationships that are not useful to us now, but may have been adaptive in our earliest relationships. I often use this approach in therapy to support clients in gaining awareness of their current behavioral patterns, so that we an identify a roadmap to better align their relationship with their goals.
Strength-Based
Strength-based approaches are a social work foundation. Every person has a reservoir of strength and resilience (even if it is difficult for them to identify at first) that can be used for growth and healing. I enjoy working with clients to identify these strengths and using those abilities as a platform for future growth.
Psychoeducation
As a hazard of my training as a social scientist, clients will often hear my say "research shows....x, y, z". I truly believe knowledge is power and understanding the evidence-base behind recommendations can empower clients to make the choices that they feel best aligns with their goals. Because I dislike jargon, I work to communicate psychoeducation in relatable ways.
Trauma Informed Care
Over the past decades there has been a growing understanding that care without awareness and compassion for the possibilities of pain that people might be bringing to treatment, can actually cause harm in itself. I have significant training and experience in providing trauma and resilience informed care and seek to make a supportive and safe environment for every person with whom I interact.