Maria Casa
I'm a licensed professional clinical counselor who specializes in supporting couples, trauma survivors, people pleasers, grief, and body image concerns. I like to blend traditional psychotherapy with integrative healing, as I'm a certified yoga instructor who weaves somatic practices like trauma-informed yoga, mindfulness, and EMDR into my sessions. I also draw from Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to help you better understand your internal world, regulate their emotions, build self-compassion, and reconnect with your most authentic self. I offer a warm and collaborative approach to explore the deeper layers of your story.
Strengths
I like to call myself a people pleaser in recovery. I have struggled with people-pleasing tendencies my whole life, and it will continue to be a part of me. However, through my own personal journey, I not only learned how to tame this side of myself, but I've also learned that my people-pleasing is a protective part of me that has helped me survive, and it's also helped me to be successful in my life. I strive to create a nonjudgmental, open, and empathetic space for others because I know how challenging and scary it can be to enter into a therapeutic space. I like to get relaxed in sessions, inviting humor when it's appropriate, while also challenging you when I think you need a gentle push to get out of your comfort zone because that's where we all grow and thrive.