Profile / United States
Maria Ward, LMFT
California
LMFT - Stress and Relationship Concerns
See online therapy options- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- English and Spanish
About Maria
Maria Ward is a California LMFT with 13 years of clinical experience. She helps people manage stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, anger, depression, addictions, relationship and family concerns, grief, intimacy issues, eating and parenting challenges, self-esteem, career concerns, bipolar symptoms, ADHD, and coping with life changes.
She uses clear, structured methods to identify unhelpful thoughts and habits. Sessions focus on practical skills people can try between meetings. Maria emphasizes collaboration and helps clients learn concrete ways to respond differently when emotions or cravings arise.
Her approach draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), attachment-based ideas, client-centered listening, and Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT). That mix lets her address thinking patterns, values-based action, relational patterns, and emotional processing in therapy. She can explain each approach and show how it applies to a person's situation.
Maria works with both English and Spanish speakers and practices in California as an LMFT. She has experience supporting parents with parenting challenges and people coping with trauma and addiction. She treats issues like codependency, body image, caregiver stress, and the practical effects of divorce or blended-family dynamics.
To begin, people follow the site's matching flow and schedule a first session. Maria uses a collaborative, skills-focused style and encourages step-by-step practice so people can notice small changes and build on them.
How her approaches guide online work
Maria commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people spot automatic thoughts and test new responses. CBT focuses on concrete exercises and behavioral experiments that translate well to remote sessions and short practice tasks between meetings.She also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which helps people clarify values and take small, values-driven steps even when difficult feelings are present. ACT is useful for issues like anxiety, depression, and managing cravings. Attachment-Based Therapy informs work on relationship patterns and how early strategies show up in current relationships, which can be discussed and practiced in online conversations.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist and client review goals, preferences, and how someone responds to initial techniques. Adjustments are made as they go so methods match the person’s needs and daily life tasks.
Confirm current session formats before booking, since this profile does not list specific options. Online work can help fit therapy into a busy schedule by reducing travel time, allowing shorter check-ins when needed, and letting people try exercises at home between sessions. Speak with the therapist during intake to learn which session arrangements will best fit your routine and goals.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
13+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English, Spanish
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with most often?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, anger, depression, addictions, relationship and family concerns, grief, parenting, self-esteem, career concerns, bipolar symptoms, ADHD, and life changes.
How does she use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in sessions?
She uses CBT to notice and test unhelpful thoughts and habits, then practices alternative responses. Sessions include practical exercises and homework to try between meetings.
What is her clinical background and experience?
She has 13 years of professional experience working with a range of concerns including trauma, addiction, mood shifts, and parenting challenges.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is an LMFT licensed in California and works with people in that state context.
Which languages are supported in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish.
Can people from other countries work with her?
International clients are accepted; confirm any cross-border details during the intake process.
How are sessions scheduled and what formats are used?
Confirm current session formats before booking through the site's appointment flow, as formats are not specified here.
How does the payment or cost system work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.