Mario R. Lopez, MSW, LSCSW

Challenges in life are essential to human growth and development, but sometimes these challenges and events in life can become overwhelming.  As the mind and body naturally seeks ways to comfort itself, we engage in often unhealthy behaviors to cope and distract from this emotional discomfort.  Sometimes these behaviors are manifested through anger, irritability, acting out, risky and even addictive/compulsive type behaviors.  These behaviors can have devastating effects on the family unit, social relationships, legal involvement, work, finances and overall health.  For most, constant worry and stress often leads to anxiety, depressed moods, isolation and even hopelessness.

As a psychotherapist for close to 20 yrs., I have found everyone has a life story and it is essential this story be heard, nurtured and its associated feelings validated.  It is this life story that sets the foundation for care and determines the best treatment approach.  As a lifelong servant of human services and involvement in mental health care and treatment, I bring over 30 years of experience working in state juvenile correctional facilities, state psychiatric hospitals, foster care agencies, community mental health centers and inpatient acute psychiatric units.  More recently, I have been employed as a manager in a federal outpatient psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery program, treating clients challenged with past severe traumas and/or having a serious mental illness.  In combination with these work experiences and academic achievements, as a graduate from Washburn University with a Master’s of Social Work degree, I bring a perspective and expertise that very few psychotherapists can bring to the healing process.

In addition to these qualities, I was raised in very humble beginnings where life’s aspirations and goals rarely materialized.  Growing up in this environment has exposed me to wealth of diverse life perspectives and cultures.  It is these rich experiences, which has placed me in an optimal position to truly understand and meet most clients, “Where they are,” one of the primary functions of a clinical treatment process.  It is these diverse life experiences that capture the human condition of marginalized people, which many mental health scholars struggle or miss the mark all together to capture in books and clinical treatment approaches.

As your therapist, you can expect a provider who can explain complex mental health treatment approaches and the long list of acronyms in terms that make sense for non-clinically trained individuals.  In addition to the use of various evidence based clinical treatment modalities and strategies, we will explore your strengths as a survivor and take a whole health approach towards self-care and mental health recovery and wellness.

The road to feeling well and achieving lasting change will not be easy, but I can tell you, your efforts to do something different will be worth it.  Together, we will create and achieve self-defined goals that will result in a life that is meaningful and worth living.

Please call me directly at 785.260.0440 or send an email message to mariorlopez@lopezm.net to schedule a free 15-minute consultation discussion.

Hours of Service:
Mondays: 4:30pm-7:30pm
Wednesdays: 4:30pm-7:30pm

Client Focus: Adults, Older Adults, Adolescents ages 13-18, Couples and Families

Treatment Orientation: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Seeking Safety Interventions, Social Skills Training, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness Skills with grounding/centering coaching and Psychodynamic Theory.

Areas of Clinical Interests and Expertise: Mood Disorders, PTSD, Psychotic Disorders, Addictive Behaviors, Anxiety and Culturally, Ethnic and Diverse clients

Payment/Insurance Options for Mario Lopez

  • Discount: $60 Administrative Discount for Private/Self-Pay individuals (not requiring insurance processing)
  • Pay By: Cash, Check, Visa, Master Card, Pay Pal, American Express, Discover
  • At this time, I am accepting Aetna Better Health of Kansas Insurance and private/self-pay appointments only.
  • For a limited time, I am reserving clinic availability times for clients who have any of the health insurances listed below:

Insurance Plans

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield (Pending)
  • Cigna Behavioral Health (Pending)
  • United Healthcare Community Plan Medicaid (Pending)
  • Aetna Better Health of Kansas Medicaid (Accepting)
  • Sunflower Health Plan Medicaid (Pending)

Our Mission

The clinicians at Shadow Wood Clinical Associates provide compassionate and competent care in helping individuals, couples, families and special groups cope with the challenges of life. We believe that by working in a therapeutic partnership, clients can improve their lives. They are better able to identify and understand the issues which brought them to treatment, enhance their coping skills, and resolve the complex problems of living that most people face at some time in their lives.

Shadow Wood Clinical Associates
3649 SW Burlingame Rd.
Topeka, KS 66611
Tel: (785) 266-6751
Fax: (785) 266-4533