New to Grow
My name is Maria C Oliveri, a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary and the former Director of Clinical Training for the El Monte Police Department. I was educated in the integration of psychology and the Cross, and believe that every meeting is ordained by God. If I am part of your journey and you are part of mine, then we will seek to bring beauty from the ashes, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11)."
In our first session, I hope to establish and build rapport. The therapeutic alliance is foundational to our work together. I want to get a sense of who you are. I want to know what brings you to therapy. I want to know what you hope to accomplish in therapy. I want to know the bedside manner that works best with you. "I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some (I Corinthians 9:22)."
God gave me many gifts, including a stellar education and a broad range of experience that has yielded an abundance of empathy. Have you experienced trauma? Have you experienced loss? Have you ever fallen from a cliff? So have I. I think I have a pretty good sense of humor, and wish that I was joking about the cliff. My faith has been my constant, and has helped me to see that nothing is wasted, "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)."
The ideal client is one who espouses a faith in God (or at least in a higher power, something that is bigger than oneself), is cognitively flexible (can think outside of the box), and has a sense of humor. Most of all, the ideal client understands that therapy is about empowerment, and is seeking help in helping oneself. The goal of therapy is autonomy, empowerment to solve problems independently outside of therapy.
Other specialties
I identify as
EMDR
I am EMDR-trained since 2019, and have used EMDR to treat a variety of mental health issues including anxiety, depression, and trauma. I will be using the RemotEMDR website, equipped with both visual and auditory modalities. The recipient will need a computer (to achieve full range of eye movement) and headphones. Bilateral music is recommended to reinforce and maintain therapeutic progress. After taking your history, we will discuss EMDR protocol, and we won't begin until you feel ready. EMDR is unfamiliar to many, but it is a cutting-edge tool that is faster than other treatments, with a success rate in the 90th percentile.
Christian Counseling
I am a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary, and believe that I am only a vessel of God's hope and healing. I understand that not everyone shares my faith, and I do not proselytize. Christians have no immunity to the forces that govern our fallen world. Even Christians can become discouraged, and feel lost. They can wander from their faith, and feel alone. I can offer validation and support during times of God's redirection. I believe that when God comes first, everything else will fall into place.
Couples Counseling
Every healthy relationship has conflict, and it is how conflict is resolved that is important. I can provide tools for conflict resolution, effective communication, fair fighting, and safe and healthy Boundaries. I also look at the contributions of respective family-of-origin issues, assessing for recapitulation or repetition of dysfunctional patterns. This is a safe place to discuss issues with disengagement, infidelity, and sexual intimacy. Been there, done that. No judgment.
Solution Focused Brief Treatment
Many mental health issues can be traced to negative rumination about what is wrong, the "problem." A perceptual shift to solutions, "how to make this better" is more productive. Sometimes people get stuck in a repeating pattern, hoping to achieve a different outcome. If something's not working, let's try something else. If something is working, let's do more of that. Even though this is a bonafide theoretical approach, some things you just don't get from book-learning.
Play Therapy
I specialized in treating (traumatized) children at the EMPD beginning in 1997. I love working with children. If I'm being honest, parents can sometimes be detrimental to the therapeutic process. If parents are collaborative and supportive, children can learn to articulate their feelings (to avoid behavioral expression), learn coping skills, and thrive. We can still play games remotely, and I use puppets with very young children to make them feel comfortable with the therapeutic context. Even though I am a senior, I am young at heart. As someone once said, "It takes one to know one."