Office: Loveland, Colorado
Session formats: In-person and virtual (Colorado residents)
Populations served: Teens, adults
Primary specialties: Anxiety and panic, OCD and perfectionism, depression, life transitions, academic and career stress
Therapeutic approach: Person-centered, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), narrative therapy, mindfulness-based
Languages: English
Accepting new clients: Yes

About Mary Harshfield

Mary Harshfield works from a simple conviction: every person already has the tools and capacity for growth and healing inside them, and counseling is largely about helping people reconnect with the strengths, resilience, and insight they already possess. She aims to create a warm, nonjudgmental space where clients can show up as who they actually are — not who they think they should be, and not the polished version they've been performing elsewhere.

Mary approaches each client with genuine curiosity and respect. Some of her clients are navigating a specific transition — a move, a career change, a relationship shift. Others are coming in with sharper edges of anxiety, OCD, depression, or panic. Many simply feel stuck and want a place to slow down and make sense of what they are experiencing. Mary believes meaningful change often begins with understanding ourselves more deeply, including recognizing the patterns that have actually helped us survive difficult moments, even when they have outlived their usefulness.

Mary holds her LPCC and is a National Certified Counselor (NCC). She earned her Master of Arts in Counseling and Career Development, with a specialization in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, from Colorado State University, and her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Texas A&M University. Her professional experience includes working with a diverse range of clients navigating emotional and relational concerns, life transitions, and high-pressure academic environments — work that has shaped her natural fit with university students, graduate students, and high-achieving professionals.

Mary draws on person-centered therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), narrative therapy, and mindfulness-based approaches in her clinical work — chosen and combined based on what each specific client needs rather than applied as a single protocol. Outside the office, Mary enjoys walks, time in nature, music, and friends and family. She values balance, meaningful relationships, and the importance of paying attention to the smaller moments of a life.

Specialities & Conditions Treated

Conditions and concerns:

Anxiety, OCD, and Mood

• Severe anxiety

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

• Panic attacks

• Social anxiety

• Depression

• Perfectionism

• Fears and phobias

• Catastrophic thinking and worry

Life Transitions and Growth

• Career counseling and career changes

• Relocation and adjustment

• Life-stage transitions

• Establishing self and identity

• Empowerment and growth-oriented work

Self and Relational Concerns

• Self-esteem and self-worth

• Self-care and stress management

• Boundaries and assertiveness

• Spirituality

• Grief and loss

• Feelings of worthlessness and guilt

• Relationship challenges

Child and Teen Concerns

• Academic challenges and high-pressure school environments

• Anxiety and depression in adolescence

• Social difficulties

• Identity and self-worth

Licensure & Professional Background 

Licensure & Certifications

• Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPCC), State of Colorado

• National Certified Counselor (NCC), National Board for Certified Counselors

Professional Experience

Mary's clinical experience spans work with a diverse range of clients navigating emotional and relational concerns, major life transitions, and high-pressure academic environments — including university students and high-achieving professionals managing the specific weight that academic and career performance can carry. That experience shapes her steady, attuned presence in the room.

FAQ's

Does Mary work with OCD specifically?

Yes. OCD is one of the conditions Mary works with regularly, including the cluster of patterns that often travels with it — perfectionism, catastrophic thinking, social anxiety, and panic. Her clinical approach to OCD draws on CBT and mindfulness-based work, both of which have strong evidence for OCD treatment, alongside the relational foundation of person-centered therapy.

Does Mary work with college and graduate students?

Yes. Mary has significant experience supporting clients in high-pressure academic environments — undergraduates, graduate students, and post-graduate professionals navigating the specific stress of demanding programs and performance environments. Fort Collins is a college town, and academic stress is one of the long-tail conditions Mary is genuinely prepared to support.

Does Mary work with teens?

Yes. Mary works with adolescents on anxiety, depression, social difficulties, identity, and academic stress. Her warm, nonjudgmental tone tends to land well with teens who are wary of being analyzed or fixed.

What therapeutic approaches does Mary use?

Mary draws on person-centered therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), narrative therapy, and mindfulness-based approaches — combined and adjusted based on what each client needs rather than applied as a single protocol. CBT is most often the foundation when anxiety, OCD, or panic is the primary concern; mindfulness threads through most of her work.

Does Mary offer virtual sessions?

Yes. Mary sees clients in person at the Fort Collins office and offers virtual sessions for Colorado residents. Virtual sessions work well for college and graduate students with shifting schedules, professionals balancing demanding work, and clients outside immediate driving distance of Loveland.

Is Mary accepting new clients?

Yes. Mary is currently accepting new clients at the Fort Collins location. A free consultation is available through Foundations Counseling's Counselor Match Guarantee — a no-pressure way to see whether her approach fits before committing to regular sessions.