Mary Mcfarland-Norris, LICSW

Mary Mcfarland-Norris is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) based in Birmingham, Alabama, who provides therapy statewide via telehealth. With two decades of experience, she works with adults from age 18 through later life, guiding clients through anxiety, stress, depression, relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy-related issues, eating and sleeping difficulties, parenting challenges, anger and self-esteem issues, career transitions, bipolar disorder, and coping with life changes. Her practice also attends to first responder issues, hospice and end-of-life counseling, veteran and armed forces concerns, multicultural matters, and compassion fatigue.

She most often draws on cognitive behavioral therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help clients develop practical skills and shift patterns that contribute to distress. Mary pairs these evidence-informed techniques with a client-centered, attachment-aware stance that prioritizes listening, empathy, and collaboration. Her communication style is calm, personable, and nonjudgmental, which she uses to build trust and create a space where clients can speak openly about difficult feelings.

Mary emphasizes working together to set achievable goals, track progress, and tailor interventions to each person’s needs and preferences. In an initial session she focuses on understanding a client’s feelings and life context through questions and careful listening, then outlines a path forward that reflects the client’s priorities and readiness for change.