MZ Portrait of Mary Kay Zayani

Mary Kay Zayani, LCSW

Compassionate LCSW helping people manage anxiety and stress

25 years in practice · based in California · sessions in English · online sessions

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About Mary

Mary Kay Zayani is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 25 years of experience. She offers steady, compassionate support for people feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, relationship pain, grief, career crossroads, or struggles with self-esteem and body image. She helps clients name what feels hard and breaks big problems into manageable steps.

Sessions are conversational and focused on practical ways to cope. Mary Kay listens, soothes, and helps people find their own answers rather than telling them what to do.

Book with Mary Now Review online therapy options and next steps.

Background and approach

Her work weaves together attachment-based ideas, client-centered listening, and cognitive-behavioral techniques. That means she pays attention to how early relationships shape current feelings, follows each person's lead in session, and uses simple thinking-and-behavior tools to reduce distress. Mary Kay also draws on dialectical skills to help manage intense emotions and on existential themes when people face meaning questions or life transitions.

She supports those dealing with addiction, intimacy issues, family conflict, parenting strains, and coping after loss. People who prefer a calm, validating presence often find her approach helpful. She frames therapy as collaborative work and focuses on building skills for emotion regulation, communication, and clearer decision making.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Attachment-based work focuses on how early caregiving relationships shape current feelings and patterns. Online sessions use that lens to notice relationship patterns, repair trust ruptures, and practice new ways of relating in everyday life.

Client-centered therapy emphasizes being heard and accepted. In remote sessions the therapist follows the client's lead, listens deeply, and helps people clarify their goals and values. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks down thoughts, feelings, and behaviors into specific steps to change unhelpful patterns, with homework and practical strategies people can try between sessions.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will collaborate with the client to identify what feels most useful based on symptoms, goals, and personal preferences, and will adjust methods as needs change.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for face-to-face conversation and practicing skills, phone calls work well when bandwidth is limited, live chat can fit a quick check-in, and messaging supports brief updates or ongoing coaching. These options make scheduling easier and let people fit therapy into busy lives while still working toward real change.
Book with Mary Now Review online therapy options and next steps.

Questions people ask

What concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, career questions, addictions, body image, parenting strains, ADHD-related struggles, and related areas such as abandonment and communication problems.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is warm and listening-focused. She blends client-centered listening with cognitive-behavioral tools and attachment-informed perspectives to help people manage emotions and change unhelpful thinking.
What is her background and experience?
She holds a Master of Social Work in clinical counseling from Columbia University and has 25 years of clinical experience in mental health and counseling.
What credentials and region are listed?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with licensure in New York and California and practices from California.
Which languages are supported and can international clients be seen?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
Sessions may be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on the client’s preference and scheduling needs.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin a therapy relationship with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist’s availability.

What this therapist works with

Most often

Experience
25 years
Licensed
California, New York
Languages
English

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