Therapist profile
Dr. Mary Ann Dier-Zimmermann, LCPC
Licensed counselor - family and parenting focus
Continue with MaryAbout
- Depression and anxiety
- Parenting and family
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
About Mary
Dr. Mary Ann Dier-Zimmermann is an Illinois Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with 35 years of clinical experience. She works with adults on common concerns such as depression, anxiety, grief, addiction, relationship strain, parenting challenges, and issues related to LGBTQ identity. Her practice emphasizes practical steps and steady conversation rather than technical jargon.
She begins by listening and mapping where a person is now. That assessment leads to a clear plan and short-term goals. Sessions focus on everyday problems - stress at home, trouble with intimacy, feeling stuck after a separation, or the steady wear of caregiving and compassion fatigue. She also addresses deeper experiences such as trauma, abandonment, attachment concerns, and major life transitions.
Her background includes work that brings together psychology and religion or spirituality when clients wish to include that material. She helps people consider how beliefs and values affect choices and relationships. The approach is conversational and down-to-earth, with attention to how change might fit into daily life.
Dr. Dier-Zimmermann uses several evidence-informed methods in-session, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, attachment-based ideas, and client-centered listening. She may draw on Gottman-informed tools for relationship topics and existential questions about meaning when those come up.
Clients can expect clear explanations of what she is doing and why. The focus is on understandable steps people can try between sessions. Her work often centers on repairing or strengthening the supports people have around them, including family and other close relationships.
How sessions work
How her approaches guide online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people clarify their values and take small steps toward those values while learning to live with difficult thoughts and feelings. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and stress that gets in the way of everyday life.Attachment-Based Therapy looks at patterns people form in close relationships and how those patterns affect current connections. It can help people understand recurring conflicts, repair trust, and strengthen support systems.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the client about goals and preferences and then suggest which methods to try. This is a collaborative process and may change over time as needs shift.
The practical benefit of working online is that sessions can fit around daily responsibilities and make it easier to keep regular meetings. If you need to confirm what session formats are offered, check the listing or ask before booking. Online sessions can be helpful for shorter check-ins, focused skill practice, or ongoing weekly work that needs to be scheduled around work or caregiving demands.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
35+ years
Listed in
Illinois
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, relationship strain, parenting concerns, intimacy issues, and related topics such as trauma and attachment problems.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
She uses clear, conversational sessions with practical goals. Methods mentioned include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, attachment-informed work, and client-centered listening.
How much experience does she have?
She has 35 years of clinical experience in counseling and psychotherapy.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an IL LCPC, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois.
Can sessions be held in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with clients outside the United States?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions billed or paid for?
Cost varies with location; sessions are provided through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What do I need to do to begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.