Mary Fuchs
BA; she/her
clinical mental health counseling graduate student
I do this work because I feel that no one should struggle alone, no matter how big or small the issue may feel to you (or to someone else in your life).
I have been the one struggling––unsure where to turn, who to talk to, or what to do, and I have been the one who has reaped the benefits of therapy. I feel immense gratitude for the work that I get to do to help others find the peace, joy, and the sense of healing that I believe everyone is worthy of achieving.
I also believe that…
Therapy is an intimate and personal experience and I’m privileged to be a part of your journey. Therapy involves being raw and honest with someone and I’m so grateful that person is me, if you choose it to be. Therapy is a space where you’re sharing all of who you are and that is so brave. You deserve to be seen, heard, and understood and to find the best fit possible to do so. You get to have a voice in your therapy journey in what you choose to work on, how much you share, and when, and you get to do so in a safe and healing relationship with the clinician of your choosing. I am honored to be a part of every client’s story, in whichever way they choose.
Healing involves pain, progress, and hope, and those things are not always linear. To really do the work of therapy we must visit some of our most painful experiences, thoughts, and feelings to begin to process and move through them. There will be weeks where you feel progress towards your goals and like you’re really made a breakthrough and there will be days where you feel like you’ve taken a few steps back - this is ok. Life is not perfect and, as humans, neither are we - it is normal and natural to have better and harder days and that does not say anything about who you are or mean that you have done something “wrong” by taking a step backward.
You are worthy of healing and your story is worthy of being heard. The world we live in tells us a lot of things about what we need to look like, act like, or what you need to be doing to be worthy, valuable, “perfect”, or lovable. In my therapy room, you don’t have to be anything but yourself. The person you are is already incredibly valuable and worthy of everything you need and want, even if it doesn’t feel like it. You don’t have to believe that yet or feel quite comfortable to let yourself out on day one, you just have to believe when I say that I want to hear your real and honest truth and meet exactly who you are, every session, I mean it!
Healing takes work. As much as I would love for you to come into my office and I would say the perfect thing and you would be perfectly healed, that’s not quite how therapy works. We will have honest conversations and work together to understand how you’re thinking and feeling, why that is, and how to best meet your goals. We will work towards self-compassion, body-mind connection, and overall healing. However, you’ll have to do the work with me in the office, as well as outside of session. Therapy is not one size fits all so we’ll find some methods that work best for you but (as much as I would love to) I cannot wave a wand and make you feel better.. and at the end of the day - your ability to heal and empower yourself will be far more valuable.
My purpose at The Gaia Center is to provide a safe and supportive space, free of shame, judgement, or a personal agenda–where I can help you to find the peace and healing through authentic connection, genuine care, and empathy.
I work with adolescents, young adults, and adults individually. My main areas of focus include women’s issues, body image concerns, perfectionism, and identity issues.
I have a passion for working with adolescents and young adults as they navigate their way in the emerging world, their emerging identities, and the issues that come along with life transitions.
I am especially drawn to working with perfectionism and body image, bodily autonomy, and pull from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and mindfulness work. In addition to this, I have an interest in diving into somatic work.
I believe that you are the expert on your own life and I want to learn about your experiences. I am open to hearing not only your story but also to any corrections or feedback if I am incorrectly interpreting or understanding your story. I have worked with people from diverse walks of life––racially, culturally, economically, regarding sexual orientation and gender identities, and have worked in diverse family structures. However I am human too with my own lens that I will be stepping outside of and I may not always be perfect at doing so.
I am a trauma-informed clinician in training as well as gender- and queer- affirming and a body at any size advocate–– and yet, it is also important to me that I see you for all that you are, not just your appearance or a sole identity.
Credentials:
Mary completed her Bachelors in Family Studies and is currently pursuing her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Trevecca Nazarene University. Mary is currently an intern at The Gaia Center and is being supervised by Colleen Conklin, LPC-MHSP, and Kaitlin King, LMFT.
Throughout her time working at Youth Villages, Mary has received ongoing training in trauma-informed care, Motivational Interviewing, and Collaborative Problem Solving as well as Counseling on Access to Lethal Means in regards to the safety of those living with thoughts of harming themselves or others.
Human First…
When I’m not working, I love to take walks, be outside in the sunshine and/or near the water (pool, lake - any water and sun are my jam), or explore the patios of Nashville for some great food in the summer. I love to stay in my house, wrapped up in a heated blanket with a space heater going, and fuzzy socks on during the winter (I left Chicago for a reason and it was the winters). Year round I love to spend time with friends, my husband, and my cat, Felix, and to play against my family group chat at the New York Times Wordle, Connections, and Mini Crossword everyday!
Do you want to schedule an initial session or phone consultation with Mary?
Mary works with adults and adolescents 13+ individually both in-person at our office in West Nashville and virtually across the state of Tennessee.
Fill out the form on our contact page, or reach out to us at hello@gaiacenter.co or 615.270.8117 (call or text). We’ll respond within 24 business hours.
Hours & Rates…
🌱 Typically sees clients in office from 4-8p on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.
🌱 Individual 50-minute session is $70.
🌱 Individual 75-minute session is $105.
🌱 As a graduate intern therapist at The Gaia Center, Mary has a limited number of Pay-What-You-Can therapy with clients who could not otherwise financially access our services. (Currently, our Pay-What-You-Can program has a large waitlist, so applications are closed.)