Who is Harriet?
Harriet Mars is a counselor, emotional wellness coach, and educator with a B.A. in Psychology. Her work centers on understanding how experiences, conditioning, relationships, and environments can influence the way we think, feel, and respond.
Her approach is grounded in curiosity rather than judgment. She is interested in looking beneath the behaviors we see on the surface to better understand the patterns that influence them.
This perspective led to the development of the PIIR Method™ — Pause, Investigate, Intervene, Reflect — a framework designed to encourage greater awareness, intentional responses, and reflection.
The Philosophy Behind the PIIR Method
My journey into private practice began in the rooms of the groups I facilitate. Day after day, I saw people arrive looking for an immediate answer—a quick solution for how to feel better or what to do next.
That experience made me think about the familiar saying:
“Give a person a fish, they eat for a day. Teach them to fish, and they eat for a lifetime.”
For me, that idea became more than a saying. It became a philosophy for how I wanted to approach emotional wellness.
If I simply tell you what to do when you're facing a difficult situation, I may help you navigate that moment, but I haven't necessarily helped you understand what is happening beneath it or how to approach the next challenge.
I wanted my work to go deeper than providing answers.
I built my practice on a foundation of emotional education. I don't believe in dictating your choices. I believe in helping you better understand your thoughts, emotions, patterns, and responses so you can make informed and intentional decisions for yourself.
That belief is what led to the development of the PIIR Method™.
PIIR provides a framework for slowing down and becoming more intentional: Pause. Investigate. Intervene. Reflect. It encourages you to look beyond the immediate reaction, explore what may be influencing it, decide how you want to respond, and reflect on what you learn from the experience.
My goal isn't to become the person you depend on for every answer. It's to help you develop a deeper understanding of yourself and skills you can continue to use beyond our work together.
Because sometimes the most valuable thing I can give you isn't the answer to today's problem—it's the ability to better navigate the next one.
I see PIIR as a process of bridging the gaps between where we are, what we understand, and how we choose to respond. Each step creates the bridge to the next. The response you choose becomes part of that bridge, and reflection helps you understand where it leads.
