Mary is an animated storyteller and musician who captivates audiences. She creates programs tailored to specific events and requests, often including her harp, psaltery, flutes and kalimba. She has been known to break into song.

She has been a radio host for over 9 years of Global Griot, stories and music from around the world. Global Griot is broadcast Sunday mornings from 9 - 11 a.m. by KSER 90.7FM. Griot is a west African word for storyteller, pronounced gree-oh. For dates and times for the Global Griot please click here to be directed to Events page.

Mary has taught dozens of workshops including Using Story in Addiction Treatment, Storytelling: On the Path to Wholeness, Action Techniques in the Treatment Setting, Secondary Trauma, Self-Care for Treatment Professionals, Assertiveness, and Feminism: a Tool for Strengthening Intimate Relationships. (Please see the Workshops link for more information.)

Mary was a featured presenter at the Women’s Coalition of Washington’s Annual Conference October 10 - 12, 2007, at Edmonds Community College’s First Annual Women’s Conference on March 11, 2006, at the Vancouver B.C. Society of Storytelling’s workshop, “Close to the Edge” and concert, “Braided Streams,” September 29 & 30, 2006, and at the Snohomish County Drug Court Conference October 5, 2006. She has been a trainer numerous times at the Washington State Department of Alcohol and Substance Abuse (DASA) Region 3 annual retreat for Chemical Dependency Professionals.

Her article, “Use of Story in Addiction Treatment,” was published in 2003 in the award-winning anthology, The Healing Heart ~ Communities (New Society Publishers). She has had several short stories published over the years.

Mary earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington. She is a certified Chemical Dependency Professional (CDP) in Washington state and has her NCAC II, a national chemical dependency credential granted by the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC). Mary is currently the Drug Court Programs Manager for a private, non-profit social service agency, where she has been employed for decades. Mary is an experienced Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) facilitator.

Mary Dessein
marystories@hotmail.com
2610 Wetmore Ave.
Everett, Washington 98201
425-879-4650