- Stress and anxiety
- Trauma recovery
- Communication skills
About Maria
Maria Ruud is a Michigan Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) with 10 years of clinical experience. She works with adults dealing with stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship and intimacy concerns, low self-esteem, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, and related struggles such as compassion fatigue and caregiver stress.
She helps people name what feels heavy and then makes it more manageable. Sessions focus on practical skills for coping with intense feelings, improving communication, and rebuilding a sense of worth after hard experiences. Maria listens for patterns that keep problems repeating and talks through alternatives that fit a person's life.
Her background includes substantial work with trauma, mood challenges, and adjustment to major life changes. That experience informs how she supports people who are recovering from abuse, facing loss, or managing chronic illness and pain. She also brings attention to issues often linked with identity and relationships, including LGBT concerns and blended-family stress.
In the room she balances concrete tools with time to process difficult memories or emotions. Clients leave sessions with short, doable steps to try between meetings. Over time those small changes add up into clearer thinking and steadier responses to stress.
Maria works in Michigan and conducts sessions in English. She uses a subscription model for scheduling that can be canceled at any time; cost varies by location. To begin, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.
How therapeutic approaches are used in online work
Maria describes using evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on skills and processing. One common approach she uses teaches concrete coping skills for anxiety and stress, such as breath work, grounding strategies, and short behavior experiments to test unhelpful beliefs. These techniques help people reduce overwhelm and try small changes between sessions.She also draws on trauma-informed methods that slow the pace and allow people to process difficult memories without becoming flooded. That often means breaking memories into smaller pieces, practicing regulation skills first, and building tolerance gradually so painful material can be worked through more safely.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Maria collaborates with each person to pick methods that match their needs, goals, and comfort level. She adjusts the plan over time based on what is helping and what feels realistic to practice outside sessions.
The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life by reducing travel and allowing shorter check-ins when needed. It can also make it simpler to connect from different locations or to continue care after moving, but confirm which formats she offers when you schedule.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Experience
10+ years
Listed in
Michigan
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of issues does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, low self-esteem, depression, grief, trauma and other related concerns listed in her profile.
How does she approach guilt or shame?
She talks through the feelings, looks for the thoughts that fuel them, and suggests practical steps to change unhelpful patterns over time.
What experience does she bring?
She has 10 years of clinical experience working with trauma, mood challenges, caregiving stress, and life transitions.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a Michigan Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) practicing in Michigan.
Does she offer sessions in languages besides English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
What format are sessions and how is cost handled?
Session formats are not specified in the biography; cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started with her?
Select 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.