About Maria
Maria Najera is a licensed clinical social worker practicing in California with seven years of professional experience. She focuses on helping people cope with stress and anxiety, manage addictions, and work through trauma, grief, and depression. Maria approaches each meeting with respect for the client’s story and the belief that people bring strengths they can use to heal.
She keeps sessions straightforward and goal-oriented. Conversations focus on practical steps you can try between meetings.
Background and approach
Maria listens for patterns around attachment, control, and family of origin that often shape current struggles. She also supports people dealing with guilt, shame, impulsivity, and isolation. Sessions often include clarifying immediate concerns, sorting out unhelpful habits, and practicing new ways to handle intense emotions.
Maria helps people explore meaning and life purpose when depression or loss make that hard. She encourages self-compassion and small actions that build momentum. Maria uses a collaborative style.
She offers guidance while asking for the client’s input on what feels useful. Meetings move at a pace that matches the person’s readiness to change. Work can take place in different formats to fit a person’s schedule.
People can expect clear next steps after a few visits and adjustments if something is not working. Maria aims to make the process approachable for someone taking their first step toward change.
How therapeutic methods work online
Maria draws from evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on present problems and skills you can use right away. One common approach she uses emphasizes identifying unhelpful patterns and trying small behavioral changes to see what helps; this works well for anxiety, mood difficulties, and impulses that feel hard to control. Another approach centers on processing the effects of trauma and abuse by creating safety, naming painful memories, and developing new coping strategies to reduce distress.Choosing the best approach is a collaborative process. Maria will discuss different ways of working and adapt methods to the person’s goals, comfort level, and pace. She checks in regularly and adjusts plans based on what is helping and what is not.
Online therapy formats - video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - make it easier to fit care into a busy life. Video allows face-to-face interaction for skill practice and deeper conversation. Phone sessions can be useful when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and messaging support brief check-ins, progress notes, and ongoing encouragement between sessions. These options give flexibility while keeping focus on practical change and steady progress.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Experience
- 7 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English