Mary Giuliani

My approach to therapy is holistic and individually tailored to suit the needs and goals of each client. I prioritize building awareness, tolerance and openness, and believe that counseling should be a partnership in which the client feels empowered on their journey towards a healthier life. Over time, our sessions together can lead to growth in personal expression, communication skills, and emotional coping strategies, leading to improved relationships with the self and others. I utilize trauma-informed, attachment, feminist and strengths-based perspectives while applying evidence-based approaches of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). With children, I frequently employ play and art therapy interventions. As mental health can manifest in physical symptoms, I work with clients to identify where and how this takes place to support a deeper connection with the body, oftentimes utilizing mindfulness as a tool to explore this. I understand that the systems we are a part of (family, social, political, professional) can lead to unwellness, I work with clients to build strategies for how to use feelings of anger, hurt, isolation or sadness as activating agents for constructive change in their lives and larger systems. My main areas of specialty include anxiety, depression, burnout, primary and/or secondary trauma, and working with first responders, children and adolescents. I grew up in Missoula, received my undergraduate degree in Oregon, and after completing my master's at the University of Montana, I spent many years working in educational settings in India, Bhutan and Senegal. As a result, I have a particular passion for working with third culture individuals and culturally responsive counseling