Maria Asuncion

(she/her)

LCSW, 24 years of experience

Clients say this provider is

Warm
Authentic
Solution oriented

About me

• As a psychotherapist, I am committed to building strong, effective therapeutic relationships with my clients. I provide collaborative and coordinated care tailored to each individual's unique needs and goals. I utilize evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Somatic or Body Centered Psychotherapy, Crisis Intervention, Psychoeducation, Inner Child Work / Attachment Based Therapy, and Stress Management. Together, we work to strengthen emotional regulation, improve interpersonal relationships, develop healthy coping skills, and create meaningful change. Current certifications: ✦ Certified Binge Eating and Chronic Dieting Professional ✦ Certified Mindfulness Informed Professional My specialties: 🧠 ADHD - Comprehensive care for adults šŸ’¤ Sleep Disturbance 🌸 Binge Eating and Chronic Dieting šŸ•Šļø Mindfulness Skills Training šŸ¦‹ Anxiety Disorders ⚔ Depression šŸ•Æļø Grief Counseling ✦ Phobia Recovery šŸ¤ Domestic Violence Recovery šŸ•Š End of Life Counseling āœļøā˜ÆšŸ”Æ I am familiar with the doctrines and core teachings of Catholicism, Judaism, and Spiritualism. I have an understanding of their beliefs, traditions, practices, and the historical and ethical principles that shape each faith. ♫ Sometimes, I incorporate music as therapeutic tool. ♫ Grief and reminiscence work using personally meaningful songs to facilitate reflection and processing. ♫ Mindfulness with music to support present-moment awareness. ♫ Guided playlists for emotion regulation and relaxation. ♫ I incorporate lyric analysis by exploring the meaning and themes of songs that are personally meaningful or relatable to clients. Discussing song lyrics can facilitate therapeutic conversation, promote emotional expression, foster insight, and support cognitive restructuring by helping clients identify, examine, and reframe thoughts, beliefs, and life experiences through the lens of music. šŸ“Œ Please note that I do not write the following letters: Letters for Emotional Support Animal (ESA) or Letters for Court-related matters.

Get to know me

In our first session together, here's what you can expect

You deserve a safe place to heal and grow. In our sessions, I will join you with compassion and evidence-based practices - so that you can get through this very difficult time in your life. During the initial session, we will work together to create the treatment plan, which is the driving force of your treatment. You will also get to know me as a psychotherapist. It will be a smooth transition into a unique, therapeutic relationship.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

My niche is helping my patients acquire safe coping skills. I encourage my patients to let go of the things/thoughts that no longer serve them. I am very good at instilling hope. Grief is the most powerful and complex emotion that we must experience. I will help you to gradually free yourself from the depths of sadness and loss of energy.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

Clients accepted include young adults, middle-aged adults, and older adults who are residing in California ā›±ļøor New YorkšŸ—½ My ideal client is someone who is open to self-reflection, willing to explore their thoughts and emotions, and motivated to create positive changes in their life. The client recognizes that seeking therapy is a valuable step toward personal growth, emotional wellness, and improved relationships. The client may be experiencing challenges related to stress, anxiety, depression, grief, life transitions, self-esteem, relationship concerns, or ADHD. An ideal ADHD therapy client is someone seeking support in understanding how ADHD impacts their daily life. The client may struggle with focus, organization, time management, emotional regulation, impulsivity, or feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities. The client is interested in developing practical strategies to manage challenges while also recognizing and embracing their personal strengths. The client may want to improve their confidence, relationships, productivity, and overall quality of life. My ideal client understands that therapy is a collaborative process. The client is willing to communicate openly, share their experiences, and actively participate in their growth. The client recognizes that change takes time and are willing to practice new skills both inside and outside of therapy sessions. The client approaches the process with curiosity and a willingness to better understand themselves.

Specialties

Top specialties

ADHD

Depression

Other specialties

Anxiety

Grief

Self Esteem

Identifies as

Serves ages

Accepts

Cash - $70 per session

Aetna

Aetna - Allied Benefits

Aetna - ASR Health Benefits

Aetna - Lucent Health

Aetna - Luminare

Aetna - Medicare

Aetna - Moda

Aetna - WebTPA

Aetna – HealthEZ

All Savers

Amerihealth Administrators

Amerihealth NJ Medicare Advantage

Anthem

Anthem - Medicare

Arlo

AvMed

Blue Cross

Blue Cross Blue Shield

Blue Cross Blue Shield - Medicare

Blue Shield

Blue Shield of California - Medi-Cal

Blue Shield of California - Medicare

Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan (Medi-Cal)

CalViva Health (Medi-Cal)

Carelon Behavioral Health (Commercial)

Centivo

Central California Alliance for Health (Medi-Cal)

Cigna

Cigna - HealthEZ

Community Health Plan of Imperial Valley (Medi-Cal)

EAP:Cigna

EAP:Evernorth

EAP:UnitedHealthcare/Optum

Evernorth

Gold Coast Health Plan (Medi-Cal)

Gold Coast Health Plan Total Care Advantage (HMO D-SNP)

Golden Rule

GTEB

Harvard Pilgrim/UnitedHealthcare

Health Net (Medi-Cal)

Health Plan of San Joaquin/Mountain Valley Health Plan – Medi-Cal

Humana - Medicare

Humana Dual (Medicare & Medicaid)

IHSS Healthy Workers

Independence Administrators

Independence Blue Cross

Independence Keystone 65 HMO

Independence Personal Choice 65 PPO

L.A. Care Medicare Plus (HMO D-SNP)

Optum

OptumHealth Complex Medical Conditions

Oscar

Oxford

San Francisco Health Plan (Medi-Cal)

Scripps Health Plan

SFHP Care Plus (HMO D-SNP)

Sharp Health Plan

Surest (formerly Bind)

Sutter Health Plan

Tufts Health/Cigna

United Medical Resources

UnitedHealthcare Complete Care (C-SNP)

UnitedHealthcare Dual (Medicare & Medicaid)

UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance

UnitedHealthcare Shared Services

UnitedHealthcare StudentResources

UnitedHealthcare/Optum

UnitedHealthcare/Optum - Medicare

Location

Virtual

My treatment methods

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

I have utilized CBT - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for 20 + years in my career as a psychotherapist. My clients have experienced excellent results from the utilization of CBT as change agent in the therapeutic process. I utilize CBT by (1) identifying problematic behaviors or experience(s); (2) Assisting my clients in increasing awareness of beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors, and (3) Changing or replacing negative or inaccurate beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors with positive, appropriate beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors. With relative ease, my clients work on achieving self-improvement in all areas of their lives. "No matter who you are, no matter what you did, no matter where you've come from, you can always change, become a better version of yourself." Eckhart Tolle

Eclectic

I have utilized an eclectic approach to providing therapy for the majority of my practice as a psychotherapist. My clients have responded very well to a myriad of the treatment modalities that I have utilized in the helping process. Depending on the client's problem(s) and motivation/ expectations, I integrate a variety of evidence-based treatment modalities such as CBT, CBT- I (CBT for Insomnia), EFT Tapping - Emotional Freedom Techniques, Attachment Based Work, Humanistic Approach, Person-Centered Approach, Positive Psychology, Family Systems Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Psychoanalytic Approach, Psychodynamic Approach, Trauma - Focused CBT, Relational Therapy, Strength Based Therapy, Somatic Therapy, Solution Based Therapy, and Reality Therapy. With the Eclectic Approach, I tailor the treatment plan to my clients' specific needs or expectations. The client has a higher success rate by utilizing a myriad of insight and coping skills to maintain a positive change in behavior. Eclectic method is considered the "Multi Modal." Custom designed treatment.

, 132 ratings

19 ratings with written reviews

August 5, 2026

Maria is clearly deeply loving and caring. I feel very safe and seen when talking with her and am looking forward to growing in her care šŸ„°šŸŒ»šŸŖ“ā˜€ļø

Verified client, age 25-34
Review shared after session 1 with Maria

July 29, 2026

Maria has genuine concern for her patients. She is willing to pivot in her methods when something does not work. Very friendly and open minded.

Verified client, age 35-44
Review shared after session 5 with Maria

June 25, 2026

Seems knowledge and eager to help! I am looking forward to working with her in the future.

Verified client, age 35-44
Review shared after session 1 with Maria