- Stress and anxiety
- Grief and loss
- Guilt and shame
About Maria
Maria Najera is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California with seven years of professional experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, trauma and abuse, grief, and depression. Maria emphasizes clients' existing strengths and treats them as the experts in their own stories.
She views the first step of reaching out as an act of courage. In sessions she listens for the patterns that keep someone stuck and helps name small, practical shifts to try between meetings. Conversations focus on what feels most pressing, whether that is managing intense emotions, reducing impulsive behaviors, or coping after a loss.
Maria pays attention to relationship patterns that come from family of origin, attachment, and abandonment wounds. She also addresses struggles around control, communication, and feelings of isolation or shame. Work can include looking at how guilt or self-judgment shows up day to day and learning ways to respond differently.
Clients can expect straightforward, goal-oriented conversations that aim to break big problems into manageable steps. Maria invites people to test small changes and notice what helps. She also supports exploration of life purpose, self-love, and forgiveness when those topics arise.
Sessions are offered in English and reflect her clinical background and seven years of practice in California. If someone wants to begin, they are invited to use the platform steps to match and schedule an initial appointment.
How evidence-based approaches are used online
Maria uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to guide sessions in practical ways. One common approach focuses on identifying patterns in thoughts and behaviors and testing small changes to reduce anxiety and impulsivity. This method helps people notice unhelpful reactions and try different responses in everyday moments.Another approach addresses trauma and grief by allowing a person to name difficult memories and feelings at a manageable pace. It aims to gradually reduce the intensity of those reactions and build more steady ways to cope with reminders and losses.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Maria will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and help decide which techniques to try first. That decision is collaborative and can change as progress is made.
Confirm the session formats available before booking, as the biography does not list specific options. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, such as shorter check-ins between commitments, avoiding travel time, or using audio rather than video when that suits someone's routine. Therapists and licensed professionals often use the online setting to keep therapy practical and focused on daily changes.
Areas of expertise
Additional focus areas
Experience
7+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she work with?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, and depression, plus related issues such as attachment, control, and communication problems.
How does she approach shame or guilt?
She listens for how guilt and shame show up in daily life and helps people try small, practical changes to respond differently rather than stay stuck.
What is her clinical background?
She has seven years of professional experience and practices as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, working in California settings.
Where is she based and licensed?
Maria is licensed in California as an LCSW and practices from that state.
In which language are sessions offered?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with international clients?
She is not currently accepting international clients.
How does pricing work?
Cost varies with location and sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to get started?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.