About Maria
Maria Gimenez-Cruz is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage anxiety, stress, and life changes in simple, practical ways. She speaks English and Spanish and focuses on clear steps clients can use right away. Her practice is grounded in respect and compassion for each person's story.
She uses short, achievable goals so progress feels visible. Sessions often include problem-solving, building coping skills, and noticing patterns that keep problems stuck.
Background and approach
Maria encourages people to discover strengths they already have and to try small experiments between meetings. Maria brings nine years of clinical experience in Florida to her work. That background includes supporting people with trauma and abuse, grief, relationship strain, parenting concerns, and sleep problems.
She also addresses issues like ADHD symptoms, social anxiety, and somatization when they affect daily life. Her style combines client-centered listening with practical tools from cognitive behavioral and mindfulness approaches. Motivational techniques and narrative methods are used to help people rewrite unhelpful stories and stay motivated for change.
Maria adapts the approach to fit each person’s needs and goals. Sessions may include talking through difficult memories, planning step-by-step changes, practicing relaxation, or identifying patterns in relationships. People who want straightforward, collaborative support find this style approachable and action oriented.
Therapeutic approaches adapted for online work
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and understanding each person's experience without judgment. It helps people feel heard and builds a trusting working relationship that supports change.Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It uses simple exercises to test unhelpful thoughts and build new habits, which can help with anxiety, depression, and sleep problems.
Mindfulness therapy teaches short attention and breathing practices to reduce stress and manage overwhelming feelings. It can be useful alongside practical behavior changes for coping with trauma or ongoing worry.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Maria will collaborate with clients to choose methods that match their goals and preferences. She checks in regularly and adjusts techniques if something is not working.
Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text messaging. Video is useful for longer, in-depth sessions; phone works well when bandwidth is limited; chat or text can be used for quick check-ins or brief skill practice. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy days and to continue progress between sessions.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Family conflicts
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Immigration issues
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Relationship issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 9 years
- Licensed
- Florida
- Languages
- English, Spanish