Online in Virginia
(Online Only)
Do you feel like life’s challenges are overwhelming or you’re constantly stuck in the same struggles? Whether you’re a child, teen, college student, or parent, navigating life’s ups and downs can feel exhausting. You might feel stuck—like no one is really listening, and nothing seems to help. But here’s the truth: You won’t be stuck forever, and I’m here to help guide you through it. Parenting can feel like an ongoing battle. Between behavioral challenges, the uncertainty of handling your child’s defiance, or academic struggles, it’s easy to feel lost.
Imagine this instead: You wake up feeling more in control. Your relationships are improving, and you’re finding ways to handle challenges with confidence and calm. You’re rediscovering joy and balance in your life, and things that once felt overwhelming now feel manageable. Together we can make that vision a reality.
Client Focus
Session Format: Family, Individual sessions.
Age Specialty: Adult, Children, Young Adult
Treatment Approach
- Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) Trauma-informed therapy that helps individuals explore deeply held, painful emotional experiences within a safe, attuned therapeutic relationship.
- Brainspotting A therapy that uses eye positions to access and process unresolved trauma. It helps release emotional and physical pain held in the body.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) One of the most widely used approaches, CBT helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and replace them with healthier patterns. It is effective for anxiety, depression, and many other concerns.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) A structured therapy that uses guided eye movements to help process traumatic memories. It is widely recognized for treating PTSD and trauma-related conditions.
- Family Systems Therapy Looks at problems within the context of the family as a whole. It aims to improve communication and balance in family relationships.
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) Helps clients heal by working with different ‘parts’ of themselves, like inner critics or wounded children. It fosters harmony within the self.
- Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Helps parents strengthen their bond with their child while learning effective strategies to manage challenging behaviors. Through live coaching, parents practice positive communication, set clear boundaries, and build a more supportive, nurturing home environment.
- Play Therapy Uses toys, games, and creative play to help children express emotions. It is especially useful when children can’t fully verbalize their feelings.
Approach Description: My approach to therapy is warm, collaborative, and practical. I believe you are the expert on your own life, and my role is to help you better understand yourself, feel more grounded, and develop tools that create meaningful change.
I tailor therapy to each person's needs rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. Depending on what you're working through, I may incorporate EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), trauma-informed interventions, mindfulness, and other evidence-based strategies.
With children, therapy is often active and engaging. I use play, movement, creativity, games, and developmentally appropriate activities to help children build emotional awareness, frustration tolerance, coping skills, and confidence. I also work closely with parents when appropriate because meaningful change often happens when children and their caregivers learn new ways of connecting and responding to one another.
With adults, I provide a supportive space to slow down, explore patterns, process difficult experiences, and reconnect with the parts of yourself that may have been overlooked while caring for everyone else. I especially enjoy working with women navigating anxiety, trauma, motherhood, life transitions, and feeling overwhelmed.
I want therapy to feel comfortable, genuine, and useful. We will work together at a pace that feels manageable while also gently challenging the patterns that may be keeping you stuck. My goal is not simply to help you cope with the moment, but to help you develop a deeper understanding of yourself and feel more capable of handling what life brings.
Fees & Insurance
Fees
- Average Session Fee 180
- Accepts Insurance
- Aetna, Anthem BCBS, Cigna, Sentara, United, etc.
Education & Credentials
Mary W. Prentiss LPC
- Female
- License # 0701010029
- Licensed in VA
- Practicing Since 2018
Education: I earned my Master’s degree in Couples, Marriage, and Family Counseling from William & Mary, where I developed a strong foundation in counseling individuals, couples, children, and families. Before becoming a counselor, I earned my undergraduate degree from the UNC-CH.
Mary W. Prentiss Practice Details
Therapy Sessions
- Available Online for residents of Virginia
- Online Therapy Details: Zoom
At Willow Tree Healing Center, I believe therapy should feel like a place where you can finally take a breath, feel understood, and be yourself without judgment. My approach is warm, compassionate, practical, and down-to-earth. I work with children, women, and families who may be struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, big emotions, parenting challenges, life transitions, or simply feeling overwhelmed.
I specialize in working with children and families, including children experiencing anxiety, emotional or behavioral difficulties, ADHD-related challenges, trauma, and difficulties at home or school. I also work with women who are navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, motherhood, pregnancy and postpartum changes, relationships, and the many demands of everyday life.
My therapeutic approach draws from evidence-based treatments including EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), and trauma-focused interventions. With children, I incorporate play, creativity, movement, and age-appropriate activities so therapy feels engaging rather than like another place where they are expected to sit and talk.
I believe you don't have to have everything figured out before coming to therapy. Whether you're a parent trying to better understand your child's behavior, a woman feeling overwhelmed or disconnected from yourself, or someone working through past experiences that continue to affect you today, we can work together to understand what's happening and develop tools to help you feel more confident and grounded.
My goal is to create a safe, supportive relationship where you feel heard, respected, and empowered to make meaningful changes. Therapy doesn't have to be intimidating or complicated—it can be a place to slow down, gain clarity, heal, and move forward.