LCSW, 30 years of experience
Welcome! I have been a psychotherapist for 30 years and I love my career. Psychotherapy is a unique experience, and its success depends on the quality of the interaction between therapist and client. Give yourself permission to find the right fit for you. My work is guided by the principle of CONNECTION. Humans can survive with food and shelter, but healthy CONNECTIONS are the key element to living balanced and fulfilling lives. I guide and support you in exploring your early relationships and the impact that these experiences have had on your development, with the goal of healing emotional wounds and moving toward self-empowerment. Critical to this work is teaching you about the inter-connection between mind, body, and spirit. Your body registers everything that you feel. My hope is to help you become an expert at reading and responding to your own mind, body, and spirit in compassionate ways. I speak fluent Spanish and able to provide bilingual sessions.
Although all insurances require that an intake be completed, I incorporate these items into a discussion of what you are hoping to receive from this therapeutic relationship. I will introduce myself and invite you to do the same and ask any questions about the process. A therapeutic relationship takes time to form and I do my best to make it as comfortable for you as possible.
I excel in two areas. The first is in developing and maintaining a strong therapeutic relationship. I believe that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is one of the key components of progress. The other is a client's willingness to learn. The therapeutic relationship evolves throughout the course of therapy. Knowing how to address the array of feelings-positive and challenging-that will naturally surface between client and therapist, is a critical skill. My second are of expertise is the use of psychodynamic processing. Each of us has a unique life experience and I wholeheartedly believe that understanding our past is critical in understanding our current life and becoming in charge of our own destiny. I weave the past with the present in a compassionate and affirming manner.
I work with Adults 19 and over who see the value of examining how past experiences impact their current functioning in self-esteem and the quality of relationships.
I will support you by exploring, identifying and understanding how your early childhood experiences informed your understanding of yourself and the people around you--Did you feel safe? heard? understood? nurtured? valued? I provide you with an empathic and safe space to help you explore these experiences. I will use various tools (handouts, videos, podcasts, etc.) to help you understand how the brain processes stress and will teach you strategies to manage your thoughts, emotions and behaviors. I will incorporate exercises to challenge inaccurate and negative thinking. Lastly, I use non-verbal, body-based exercises to improve your ability to track and redirect your physical responses to stress.
2 ratings with written reviews
July 17, 2025
I was with them in Nov 2023, I took a break from therapy and reached back out to reconnect. and start therapy again. I missed her energy and positivity. Always great sessions and very helpful.
May 27, 2025
Maria, Listens and sometimes this is all I need. She has given me tools that help me deal with my triggers and for this I will always appreciate her.