About Maria
Maria has an empathic, solution-focused, and collaborative approach to working with those who are coping with depression, anxiety, relationship and interpersonal difficulties, and stressful life transitions.
Her belief in our fundamental human capacity for self-awareness, self-regulation, and positive change strongly informs her work in helping patients to align with their most meaningful and life-affirming goals. While doing so, she creates a comfortable, non-judgmental, and compassionate environment that ensures a safe and trusting therapeutic relationship.
She uses an integrated approach in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, and a mindfulness-centered orientation that promotes self-empowerment and adaptive coping skills to help achieve healthy relationships and live a life that is valued by the patient as authentic and fulfilling.
Navigating the bridge to adulthood shouldn’t feel like walking a tightrope without a net.
Usually, they are a complex mix of anxiety, executive functioning hurdles like ADHD, and an increasingly high-pressure economic landscape. I specialize in helping young adults (and their families) move from a place of stagnation to a place of purpose. My approach combines clinical therapy with practical life-skill building to help clients find their footing and take ownership of their future.
My Philosophy
I believe that everyone—regardless of age—wants to succeed. One of the core principles of my work is a simple but transformative truth: people do well if they can. I don’t believe in “limitless” capacity in a vacuum; I believe that when the expectations placed upon us outweigh our current skills, we get stuck.
I provide therapy for older teens and emerging adults experiencing challenges with transition to independence. When ADHD, depression, or anxiety makes independence feel insurmountable, I use a direct, solution-focused approach to bridge the gap. We work collaboratively to identify the barriers to their ‘next steps’ and build the practical, brain-based skills required for a successful transition into adulthood
My Approach: Practical, Evidence-Based, and Future-Focused
I don’t just offer a space to talk; I provide a roadmap to action. By looking at the neuroscience of behavior, we address what is actually happening in the brain when a young adult feels paralyzed by anxiety or executive functioning challenges. To do this, I integrate three core modalities:
My Journey & Expertise
I have been a licensed social worker (LSW) for over 20 years, dedicated to supporting families through their most difficult moments.
For the past decade, I have run a private practice specializing in coaching parents using the Collaborative Problem Solving® approach—helping them navigate the
complexities of raising children with challenging behaviors.
I am now officially on the path toward LCSW licensure. With clinical supervision in place, I am expanding my practice to work directly with the individuals I care so much about: older teens and emerging adults experiencing challenges with the transition to independence.
By combining my years of experience in parent coaching with a clinical focus on the “neuroscience of behavior,” I help both young adults and their families move from a place of conflict and paralysis to a future of confidence and autonomy. Because I am currently growing my clinical practice under supervision, I am able to offer therapy at a lower rate than many other providers, ensuring that high-quality, specialized support is accessible to those who need it most.