- Client-centered
- Goal-focused
- English and Spanish
About Maria
Maria Clara Salazar-Pretto is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with 20 years of experience. She speaks English and Spanish and aims to help people who are overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, grief, relationship strains, or life changes. Her approach is practical and down-to-earth so people can use what they learn right away.
She describes her style as client-centered and goal-oriented. Sessions focus on clear steps you can try between meetings, such as new ways of thinking, behavior changes, and simple skills to manage strong emotions. Maria Clara draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused strategies, Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills, and mindfulness techniques to offer hands-on tools that feel relevant to daily life.
Her background includes work in hospitals, health centers, and private agencies, and a master’s degree from California State University, Fresno. That mix of settings shaped a practical focus on coping skills and short-term goal work, alongside deeper explorations when needed. She has worked with adults across the lifespan and brings cultural awareness from growing up in both Colombian and U.S. contexts.
In sessions she uses validation, active listening, and reflection rather than judgment. Clients can expect collaboration on goals and regular check-ins about what is helping. Maria Clara encourages small, steady steps toward better coping and clearer relationships.
If you are trying to manage codependency patterns, parenting stress, workplace strain, or trauma responses, she offers strategies to build more stable routines and emotional regulation. To begin, follow the site’s matching and scheduling process to connect and plan next steps.
How her approaches translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and following the client's lead to set goals that matter to them. This approach helps people feel heard and choose realistic changes they want to try. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions and gives simple exercises to change unhelpful patterns; it is useful for anxiety, depression, and stress. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills teach emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness that can reduce reactivity and improve relationships.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to pick methods that fit their goals and preferences. Sessions can shift over time from skill-building to deeper reflection depending on what helps most.
The biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. It can also let people use mindfulness and CBT exercises between meetings and review tools together during sessions. Licensed professionals can adapt these approaches to remote sessions to focus on practical skills and steady progress.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
20+ years
Credentials
Florida
Languages
English, Spanish
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She helps people coping with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting and codependency concerns.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is client-centered and goal-oriented, using practical steps, validation, and active listening to help clients try new behaviors between sessions.
What is her professional background?
She has 20 years of clinical experience working in hospitals, health centers, and private agencies and holds a master’s degree in social work.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is an LCSW licensed in Florida and practices from Florida.
Which languages are offered for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish, and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not specify session formats, so confirm current session options before booking.
How are costs and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.