Mary Buntin

Thirty years of clinical practice, and the life experience that comes with them, shape how I show up for every client. I've worked through grief, loss, major life transitions, and the particular weight of caring for someone whose mind is changing — and I bring both clinical depth and genuine understanding to that work.

I specialize in supporting the families and caregivers of people with Alzheimer's and other dementias — an area that is deeply underserved and rarely gets the clinical attention it deserves. I also work with adults and seniors navigating end-of-life concerns, grief, depression, anxiety, and life transitions of all kinds.

I'm an LCSW trained at Virginia Commonwealth University, practicing in Richmond, VA. I offer both in-person sessions and telehealth — meeting you wherever makes most sense for your life.

My approach is relational and holistic — I work on your immediate concerns, and I also take time to understand the full context of your life: your history, your family of origin, and the experiences that have shaped how you see yourself and others.

I draw on Emotion-Focused Therapy to work with the emotional patterns underneath presenting concerns, Interpersonal Psychotherapy to address the relational dynamics contributing to depression and grief, and Strength-Based approaches to build on what's already working in you.

Thirty years has taught me that healing looks different for every person. I follow your lead on what matters most.

We start with a brief intro call — a chance to get a sense of each other before committing to anything. From there, the first session is about understanding what's brought you here and what you're hoping changes.

I'll ask about what's most pressing right now, and also what I need to know about your history and circumstances to really understand your situation. Together, we'll begin to identify what goals matter most and how we'll work toward them.

I encourage every client to be an active participant in their own care — your perspective on what's helpful always shapes where we go.