Dr. Mary Affee
Ed.D, LCSW, CTP, RPT-S, CHC, CFSW
Specializes in Individual, Adolescent & Child Therapy
Dr. Mary Affee, originally from Long Island, New York, is the Founder and Clinical Director of Horizon Integrated Wellness Group, PLLC, a mental wellness practice that specializes in mental health services for children, teens and families. Dr. Affee is a licensed Clinical Social worker, and a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor who has extensive clinical experience working with trauma. Dr. Affee is passionate about integrating expressive therapies into her practice and the organization as a whole. She has worked in the field of mental health for more than 12 years, and has practiced in both public and private sectors, which includes public schools in New York and Wake County Public Schools. Dr. Affee is also an adjunct professor at Molloy College, where she teaches play therapy and expressive arts therapy in the school’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program.
Dr. Affee is dedicated to providing outstanding service to others. She was among the many heroes who immediately fled to New York hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic to assist first responders by providing psychological first aid. Although she will never allow you to call her a hero, she feels that it was her opportunity to give back to the medical professionals who saved her daughter from cancer eight years ago. As the newly appointed president for the North Carolina Association for Play Therapy, Dr. Affee hopes to continue to create awareness for age-appropriate, culturally appropriate and developmentally appropriate treatment for children, teens, families and communities. When she is not caring for her patients, Dr. Affee, relishes time with her granddaughter, Adalina.
My passion is to provide adults, teens, and children with the tools that enable them to gain insight and mastery over their emotions through their healing process to empower them in their lives. I help my clients find healthy perceptions of themselves and assist them with strengthen relationships so they can know themselves as peaceful, complete, whole, and safe. Life is not always easy, life can hurt, and life can be unpredictable. When people experience trauma or severe life stressors, it is not uncommon for their life to unravel. I understand that not a single approach or modality is suitable for every individual, including children. This is why I developed a practice with an integrative approach that utilizes more than just talk therapy.
– Dr. Mary Affee
Mary’s Treatment Approach
- Sand Tray Therapy
- Expressive Art Therapy
- Sensory Based Interventions
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Family Systems Therapy
- Play Therapy
- Emotionally Focused Therapy
Education
- Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership, Gardner-Webb University, NC
- Masters of Art- Executive Leadership, Gardner-Webb University, NC
- Masters of Social Work, Fordham University, NY
- Bachelor of Arts, SUNY Empire State College, Westbury, NY
Certifications, Licenses, & Awards
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker, North Carolina, 2013
- Licensed School Social Worker, North Carolina, 2011
- Registered Play Therapist, 2013
- Certified Health Coach, 2014
- Certified Trauma Specialist, 2011
- National Emerging Leader Service Award ~National Association for Play Therapy, 2022
- Award of Excellence-National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children -Michigan, 2014
Presentations and Lectures
The Global Exchange Conference-Orlando, Florida
Creative Counseling Techniques to Promote Rellisiency
11/3/2022
A.S.P.I.R.E. Annual Conference – Bethpage, New York
Digital Dependence: Do you know where your children are?
9/23/2022
NASW NC Chapter, 2021 FALL Conference (Virtual)
Creative Counseling Techniques for Engaging Clients Virtually
11/16/2021
NASW NC Chapter, 2021 FALL Conference (Virtual)
Creative Counseling Techniques for Engaging Clients Virtually
11/16/2021
2021 A.S.P.I.R.E. Annual Conference – Bethpage, New York
Creative Recovery Techniques: An Integrated Trauma Informed Approach: Utilizing Expressive Therapies to Facilitate Recovery
9/24/2021
The Fourth Annual CE You Summer Virtual Mini Conference: “Moving Forward”
Creative Counseling Techniques: Engaging Clients in a Virtual Reality
7/6/2021
Molloy 2021 Spring Conference – Molloy College, Long Island New York
Creative Counseling Techniques: Engaging Clients in a Virtual Reality
3/18/2021
3/16/2021
NASW NC Branch Local Program Units – Holly Hill Hospital, Raleigh, NC
Utilizing Sand in Psychotherapy: The Do’s and Don’ts and How To Get Started
11/21/2019
NC School Social Worker Association Fall Conference – Cary, NC
11/14/2019
NASW NC Branch Local Program Units – Holly Hill Hospital, Raleigh, NC
The Magic of Metaphors: Integrating Expressive Therapies to Enhance Client Engagement
10/17/2019
Reignite 2019 Johnston County Public Schools: Continuing the Conversation
The H.E.A.R.T of Relationships: Using an Interpersonal Neurobiological Perspective
8/12/2019
NASW NC Chapter, 2019 Fall Conference
Making Termination Meaningful: The Neurobiological Impact of Imagery, Metaphor, and Expression
mm/dd/2019
2019 Expressive Arts Summit – New York, New York
Making Termination Meaningful: The Neurobiological Impact of Imagery, Metaphor, and Expression
mm/dd/2019
The National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children – Lansing, Michigan
Annual Childhood Trauma Practitioner’s Conference–SITCAP in Action: How to Use in Schools
07/15/2014
Pfeiffer University – Raleigh, NC– Graduate Program-Marriage and Family Therapy
Guest Speaker-Understanding Trauma
6/17/2014
North Carolina School Social Worker Association-(NCSSWA) – Pinehurst, North Carolina
Annual Fall Conference-A Trauma Informed Approach to Working with Students Experiencing Homelessness
11/15/2012
Fordham University, New York-Graduate School of Social Service-Fordham/Molloy MSW Program
Guest Speaker-What is Play Therapy and Understanding Trauma
4/12/2017
3/14/2016
4/20/2015
3/31/2014
Adjunct Faculty
Molloy College, Rockville Centre, New York
Meet our Faculty
News Clips
NASW
Dr. Mary Affee Named NASW-NC Social Worker of the Year!
January 30, 2023
ABC11 Eyewitness News
Cary social worker provides mental health to front line workers in New York
May 6, 2020
ABC11 Eyewitness News
How to keep your kids mentally healthy during COVID-19 pandemic
March 30, 2020
ABC11 Troubleshooter
Wake County mental health providers say they’re owed thousands in insurance claims
February 5, 2020
