- Values focused work
- Bilingual English Spanish
- Practical coping tools
About Maria
Maria Ward is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 13 years of experience based in California. She focuses on helping people handle stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, and struggles with relationships and codependency. Maria speaks English and Spanish and emphasizes listening first so clients feel understood before planning next steps.
Her style is collaborative and down-to-earth. Sessions are built around what the client brings and what matters most to them. Maria uses practical tools to reduce distress, improve communication, and build new habits that fit daily life. She also offers support for parenting challenges, grief, addiction, mood shifts, and career or life transitions.
Maria integrates several therapeutic approaches to meet each person where they are. She draws on acceptance and commitment ideas to clarify values and take small meaningful steps. She uses attachment-focused work to look at patterns in close relationships and how they affect current behavior. Cognitive-behavioral techniques help identify unhelpful thoughts and test new ways of coping.
People can expect a calm, respectful presence and concrete skills they can try between sessions. Maria believes clients are the experts in their stories and partners with them to expand strengths and resources. She encourages people to move at a pace that feels manageable while working toward clearer goals.
To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule according to availability. Sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time, and Maria accepts international clients who prefer therapy in English or Spanish.
How therapy approaches translate to online care
Maria uses acceptance and commitment ideas to help people identify what matters to them and take small actions toward those values. In online sessions this can mean setting clear, achievable tasks to try between meetings and checking progress together.She also brings attachment-based concepts into work on relationships. Online conversations can uncover patterns in how people connect and react, and then practice new ways of relating that feel safer and more effective.
Finding the right approach is part of the process. Maria will work collaboratively to decide which methods suit a person’s needs, goals, and preferences. She listens to what matters most and adjusts the focus as progress and priorities change.
The original biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Many people find online work helpful because it can fit into busy schedules, reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and make it easier to keep continuity during life changes. Licensed professionals can use different formats for different goals, and Maria will discuss what will work best for each person during the matching and scheduling steps.
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 kinds of problems does this therapist help with?
Maria works with many concerns including stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, parenting challenges, and codependency.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her approach is collaborative and client-centered. She listens first, then offers practical tools and step-by-step strategies to help people make changes that fit everyday life.
How long has she worked in therapy?
She has 13 years of professional experience working with people on a wide range of mental health and relationship concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she licensed?
She is an LMFT, which stands for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and holds a California LMFT license.
Can I work with her in another language or from outside the U.S.?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish. She accepts international clients.
Which session formats are available?
The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking so you know whether video, phone, or other formats are offered.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What do I do to get started?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a 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.