I’m Maria & I’m so glad that you are here.
If you want to know a little more about me: I’m a nature lover, endlessly curious, mother to two young adults, I love tacos, I enjoy a cozy foggy morning by the water and I live in California with my long time partner. I genuinely love my work and feel it is a privilege and joy to get to collaborate with clients.
Our work together: Most of my clients initially reach out because they are looking for responsive, compassionate and personalized support around a big life change, abuse recovery, relational challenges, grief, chronic illness, complex trauma recovery, and/or they are feeling stuck in some area of their life.
My professional background: I started as a hospital advocate for survivors of SA in 2010 with Tarrant County’s Women's Center and have been in the work of collaborating with abuse, assault and trauma survivors in various roles since that time. After graduate coursework in counseling theory, counseling skills as well as specialized training in trauma recovery, relational attachment, CPTSD, nervous system care supports, somatic therapy, parts work and more, I began working with clients 1:1. If you want to know more about my formal education, ongoing training and qualifications, I’ve included that information below.
I am happy to answer your questions and I look forward to connecting with you.
Warmly, Maria
Formal Education & Training Include
400+ hours training in Abuse/Sexual Violence/Domestic Violence survivor advocacy training and direct survivor support
BA University of California at Santa Cruz
Graduate School Coursework in Counseling Skills, Lifespan Development, Counseling Theory, Etc. (Palo Alto University)
Somatic Attachment Therapy Certificate - Embody Lab
Attachment Strategies for Relationships (Diane Poole Heller-Trauma Solutions)
Treating Trauma with Felt Sense Polyvagal Model (PVI Institute-Jan Winhall)
Inner-Relationship Focusing Training Levels 1-3 (Embodying Psychotherapy)
Trauma Informed Care Across the Lifespan LGBTQ+ Individuals (ACA 2022)
Resilience Informed Care: An Integrative Approach - Dr. A Schwartz
Somatic Embodiment & Regulation Strategies Certificate - (Linda Thai-Collectively Rooted)
Attachment Communication Skills: From Conflict To Connections (Trauma Solutions, Dr. Diane Poole Heller)
Embodied Joy in Trauma Recovery & Social Change (Embody Lab)
Melting the Shame Freeze: Using Somatic Techniques to Build Safety and Attunement (Center for Healing Shame)
Somatic Abolitionism-Foundations - ERE (2021)
Integrative Somatic Parts Work (Embody Lab)
Pain, Parts, Body & Identity - Dr. A Schwartz
Somatic Experiments Towards Embodied Safeness (Collectively Rooted)
Healing Hidden Roots of Shame Workshop (Trauma Solutions)
Resilience Informed Care: An Integrative Approach - Dr. A Schwartz
Trauma Recovery Coursework (IAOTRC-2022)
Healing the Mother Wound (IAOTRC)
Attachment Therapy (Embody Lab)
Reversing Self-Abandonment (IAOTRC)
DV SA Peer Counseling Support Certificate-State of California
Ongoing Education, Trainings & Practices
Focusing Oriented Therapy and Complex Trauma 1 (Seattle Focusing)
Inner Child Work / Reparenting Yourself / Somatic Parts Work
The Inner Critic Course for Inner Relationship Focusing and Somatic Experiencing (Dr .Gallagher)
Areas of Special Interest
Complex Trauma Recovery, Support for Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse, Building Toward More Secure Attachments, Focusing Oriented Therapy, Felt-Sense PolyVagal Model, LGBTQ+ Coaching, Nervous System Care, Neurodiversity, AUDHD, Decolonizing Therapy+Psychology, Religious Abuse Recovery, Chronic Illness Supports, Inner-Child Work, Unwinding Shame Response Patterns, Collective Healing and Community Power, Culturally Responsive Coaching, Feminist Theory, Developmental Trauma Recovery.
*Your sessions will always be personalized to your unique needs and the approaches that you feel best support YOU.