Therapist profile
Mary Gales-Wenz, LICSW
Minnesota
LICSW in Minnesota - trauma and addiction focus
Continue with MaryWhere Mary stands
- Credentials
- LICSW
- License
- LICSW, Minnesota / 4518
- NPI
- 1023166659
- Experience
- 40 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- Minnesota
About
- Trauma informed care
- Addiction recovery support
- Mind-body approaches
About Mary
Mary Gales-Wenz is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in Minnesota with more than 40 years of experience. She works with adults and adolescents on problems like anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, trauma, and stress-related issues. Sessions often focus on practical ways to cope with life changes and persistent patterns such as codependency or trouble sleeping.
Mary spent two decades at the Department of Veterans Affairs in St. Cloud and Minneapolis, offering care on both inpatient and outpatient teams. After that she provided services at Hazelden Center for Youth and Families and Allina Behavioral Health Clinics, and she supervised residential treatment for the Department of Corrections. She has also worked in behavioral health management for a Minnesota insurance company and has maintained a small private practice since 2009.
Her work covers chemical dependency and mental health treatment settings where she has addressed post-traumatic stress, sexual and physical trauma, mood disorders, and addiction-related concerns. She continues to refresh her clinical knowledge and learn about developments in treatment approaches.
Mary is interested in the mind-body connection and in therapies that help clients better understand how physical and emotional experiences interact. Her background includes Accelerated Resolution Therapy, which she uses to help people process strong emotional and cognitive responses to events.
In sessions she draws on client-centered work and evidence-informed methods to help people make concrete changes. Conversations tend to focus on skills, coping strategies, and steps that fit into everyday life.
How sessions work
Online work using practical therapies
Mary uses Client-Centered Therapy to focus on each person's concerns and to follow what matters most to them. That approach is about listening and helping someone set goals based on their own priorities. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is used to identify unhelpful thought patterns and to practice different responses. CBT can help with anxiety, depression, and problem habits. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, offers skills for managing strong emotions and improving coping during high-stress moments.Choosing the right approach is something Mary treats as a collaboration. She will talk with a client about goals, try methods that fit their needs, and adjust the plan as work continues. The approach can shift as priorities or circumstances change, and the client helps shape which tools get used.
Session formats are not listed in the original biography, so confirm current online options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, shorten check-ins when that is helpful, or avoid travel time. Discussing preferred ways to meet and scheduling needs is part of the first conversations with the therapist.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
40+ years
Listed in
Minnesota
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
Mary works with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, and related concerns including codependency and chronic pain.
What is her therapy style like?
She combines client-centered listening with structured approaches such as CBT and DBT to teach coping skills and practical tools.
How much experience does she have?
Mary has over 40 years of experience in behavioral health settings including 20 years at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
What credential and location does she hold?
She is a LICSW licensed in Minnesota and practices from that state.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English only.
Can people outside the US sign up?
International clients are not accepted at this time.
How are sessions paid for?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What do I do to begin?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe at home, use the crisis and helpline numbers.