Mara Chiles, LCSW

Mara Chiles is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in New York. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship strain, parenting challenges, and life transitions including midlife concerns. She also supports people dealing with addiction, trauma, and issues around aging and caregiving.

She draws on 22 years of experience in counseling. Her sessions begin with listening closely to what matters most to each person. She looks for existing strengths and works with clients to set practical goals they can try between meetings.

Mara uses a mix of approaches that include cognitive behavioral methods and psychodynamic ideas. She also uses client-centered and mindfulness techniques, and she sometimes incorporates narrative work to help people reframe difficult stories. She aims for a holistic approach that addresses both emotional needs and real-world resources.

Her social work background means she can help connect people to community resources when that will support progress. That can be useful for caregiving, aging-parent concerns, and challenges tied to chronic illness or life transitions. She emphasizes practical steps alongside emotional processing.

Mara describes her style as compassionate and active. She listens with empathy and offers interactive feedback. The goal is to help people move forward, build coping skills, and feel more able to manage day-to-day challenges.

How her approaches translate to online work

Client-centered therapy focuses on the person in front of the therapist. It involves listening closely, reflecting what matters, and shaping goals that feel useful. This approach helps when someone needs space to sort values, parenting choices, or midlife questions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect. It includes simple exercises and skill-building to reduce anxiety, manage mood, and change unhelpful patterns. Mindfulness therapy adds attention practices to help manage stress and stay grounded during difficult moments.

Finding the right approach is a team effort. The therapist will talk with each person about goals and preferences and try methods that fit. That collaboration helps decide whether CBT, client-centered work, mindfulness, or a mix will be most useful for a situation like grief, career change, or relationship strain.

Confirm current session options before booking so you know how sessions are delivered. Online work can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy day, reduce travel time, or allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also let people continue therapy while handling caregiving, work schedules, or health-related limits. Licensed professionals will adapt exercises and homework to suit the online setting and everyday life.