Maria Bernal

(she/her)

LMFT, 10 years of experience
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I am a bilingual licensed Marriage & Family therapist (LMFT) in the state of California, 148321 with more than 10 years of experience in mental health services. I am dedicated to providing an open, non-judgmental, strength-based, and compassionate approach for individuals seeking growth and healing. My perspective is based on a nurturing, caring and holistic approach. I utilized cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), Narrative therapy, Solution focus and humanistic approach to work on areas such as self-esteem, self- growth and strengthening your inner relationship.

Get to know me

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

I am passionate about helping people move towards the life they want. In my first session with you I’ll explain how therapy works and what to expect during therapy with me. A person is allowed to ask questions and clarify any doubts they may have. Autonomy is key in my practice.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

I believe humans are meant to experience safety, security, and compassion. I am a big believer that it takes one person to believe in you, to allow you to grow at your own pace, and to heal the parts that make you uncomfortable. As a therapist, I focus on accepting more of who you are and who you are meant to be.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

My style is having a direct and nurturing communication style. Been able to understand that the choices we make are based on how others have talk to us. I believe that having both assertive and nurturing interactions with others is key to empowering someone to focus on themselves with no judgment. I work with individuals who are ready to invest in their mental health and are ready to invest on their inner growth. I focus on self-esteem issues, relationship problems and negative self-talk.

Specialties

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Serves ages

Licensed in

Accepts

Location

Virtual

My treatment methods

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

I utilized cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help individuals identify and changes unhelpful thought patterns and behavior. This approach aims at staying on the present moment rather than dwelling on the past. It helps on developing healthy strategies and coping skills for current problems.

Narrative

I believe we all have a story to tell. I utilized narrative therapy to assist individuals in rewriting their personal stories to gain a sense of control and agency over their lives. This involves identifying problematic narratives, externalizing problems, to co-create a more an empowering story.

Strength-Based

I utilized strength-base therapy to help individual see their own positive qualities. This approach aims at empowering individuals by recognizing their own strengths and use them to build more positive and fulfilling life.

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This provider hasn’t received any written reviews yet. We started collecting written reviews January 1, 2025.