- Values-guided work
- Bilingual English Spanish
- Trauma-informed support
About Maria
Maria Ward is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) based in California. She brings 13 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, mood changes, and trauma. She speaks English and Spanish and focuses on clear, practical support for everyday struggles.
Maria centers sessions on each person's strengths and goals. She listens first, then offers tools that fit a person's life. She helps people who are facing grief, relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting challenges, substance issues, or difficulties with self-esteem and career changes.
Her work draws on approaches that emphasize values, emotion, and connection. She uses strategies from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice what matters and make steady changes. Attachment-based ideas and emotionally focused techniques guide work on relationships and closeness.
Maria also has additional focus areas including adoption and foster care, abandonment, caregiver stress, and body image concerns. She supports people dealing with bipolar disorder, ADHD, or disruptive mood changes by helping them build routines and coping plans that feel doable.
Clients who choose Maria can expect collaborative, straightforward sessions. She offers practical skills, reflective listening, and planning to help manage symptoms and reach personal goals. To begin, people are invited to take a first step and arrange a time to meet and see how the fit feels.
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Maria uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify their values and take small steps toward a life they want. ACT focuses on noticing thoughts and feelings without getting stuck and choosing actions that align with personal goals.She also draws on Attachment-Based Therapy and Emotionally-Focused ideas to address relationship patterns and improve emotional connection. These approaches look at how early bonds shape current reactions and help people change how they relate in close relationships.
Choosing the right approach is a shared process. Maria will work with each person to match methods to their needs, goals, and preferences and adjust the plan as progress happens.
If you are considering online therapy, confirm the specific session formats available before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Licensed professionals can use these options to keep continuity of care and help people practice new skills between meetings.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
13+ years
Credentials
California
Languages
English, Spanish
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, anger, addictions, relationship and family issues, grief, intimacy concerns, eating and body image problems, parenting difficulties, ADHD and bipolar-related challenges.
What is her therapy style like?
Sessions are collaborative and down-to-earth. She focuses on strengths, teaches practical skills, and helps people connect choices to their values.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 13 years of professional experience working with a broad range of concerns and client needs.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) licensed in the state of California.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish.
Can international clients work with her?
Yes, she accepts international clients as part of her practice.
How are sessions scheduled and what about formats?
Confirm current session options before booking; the profile advises checking available formats when arranging appointments.
How does cost and starting therapy work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.