Bailey Mason, MSW, LLMSW
Populations Best Served:
Adolescents (8+ years old)
Young Adults
2SLGBTQIA+ individuals
Counseling specialties:
Trauma
Liberation Psychology
Grief (related to both death and other losses)
Therapist
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Language(s): English
Location(s): Ann Arbor, Telehealth
Insurances Accepted: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Cross Complete, Meridian, & Washtenaw Health Plan.
As a limited licensed mental health provider, Bailey is unable to see clients with Blue Care Network.
Bailey’s clinical work is under the supervision of TBA.
Education & Training:
MSW, University of Arkansas
Professional Interests: I provide therapy for children (8+ years), adolescents, young adults, and families. I work with a diverse caseload of clients, supporting those with a history of trauma, self-harm, suicidality, 2SLGBTQIA+ identities, relationship and family conflict, and general life concerns. With me, the therapy room is a space to explore and honor every part of yourself and your lived experiences. I prioritize understanding the influence of intersecting systems on your well-being. In a world that seeks to force people, especially people with oppressed identities, to take up less and less space, I seek to empower individuals to live authentically in resistance.
What it’s like in a session with me: Sessions with me are typically nondirective, meaning there are many options for you to choose how we process together. I begin my sessions by offering options to help you feel comfortable and make the space your own (such as a blanket, a cup of tea, or a fidget) followed by something we can do to ease into the session (my clients of all ages often choose coloring or puzzles while we talk, at least in the beginning). Though I recognize the value of getting at the root of your concerns, I also honor the other pieces of your human experience. Whatever you believe is the priority for that session will be my priority–even with my child clients, though they communicate their priorities to me a bit differently. For example, processing childhood trauma is likely unrealistic for clients experiencing food insecurity, so our sessions might first focus on identifying resources. My hope is that through our time together, we both grow in our ability to recognize what you need and how to address it in session.
Approach to Therapy: In therapy with adults, I practice open, nonjudgmental exploration of each individual’s values, strengths, and purpose. Individuals who feel they are living a life out of alignment with their values (such as individuals seeking to leave organized religion, beginning to get to know their queerness, feeling inner turmoil from being part of corrupt systems, etc.) have found comfort in my supportive, action-oriented approach. I recognize that modern mental health therapy and evidence-based practice are reiterations of the ancestral knowledge of generations of healers, leaving me open to exploring decolonized therapeutic interventions while always emphasizing the self-determination of and collaboration with clients. I also incorporate a variety of conventional modalities, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), parts work, and Family Systems Therapy.
My past child and adolescent clients have described me as safe, warm, funny, “cringe”, and a consistent advocate. In my work with children, adolescents, and families, I view the caregivers (along with other healthcare professionals, child advocates/case workers, juvenile probation officers, etc.) as an integral piece of the youth’s team, guided by the youth and their needs. I expect each team member to participate in the care of the child and communicate any barriers to their participation. I believe that families provide the foundation of growth for children and adolescents, and I am as dedicated to providing tools to caregivers as I am to helping the youth work through their challenges. I believe each family is unique with their own strengths and challenges, and no family structure is inherently “better” than any other. Bailey incorporates play into her work with children and ACT, DBT, and Family Systems Therapy in her work with older youth less inclined to play.