Therapist profile
Maria Ward, LMFT
California
California LMFT - Anger and Relationships
Continue with MariaKey details
- CredentialsLMFT
- LicenseLMFT, California / 98143
- NPI1184932006
- Experience13 years
- LanguagesEnglish, Spanish
- LocationCalifornia
About
- ACT techniques
- CBT tools
- Attachment focus
About Maria
Maria Ward is a California licensed marriage and family therapist with 13 years of clinical experience. She works with adults dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, anger, depression, addictions, and relationship problems. Sessions are offered in English and Spanish and she accepts international clients.
She describes working with people who struggle with parenting challenges, anger management, mood shifts, and interpersonal conflict. Maria focuses on practical tools that help regulate strong emotions and improve communication. She treats concerns such as grief, intimacy issues, eating struggles, self-esteem, career stress, and ADHD-related challenges.
Her approach draws on several well-known methods. She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people notice their values and take small steps toward them. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is used to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and change behaviors that keep problems going. Attachment-Based and Emotionally-Focused ideas guide work on close relationships and patterns that repeat over time.
Maria has experience supporting people affected by abandonment, foster and adoption issues, blended family challenges, caregiver stress, codependency, and substance use concerns. She also works with clients coping with divorce, domestic violence consequences, and disruptive mood challenges.
Her sessions aim to be collaborative and straightforward. She listens, helps set clear goals, and offers skills to manage reactions and rebuild connection where it matters. The first step is completing a brief questionnaire and scheduling an initial meeting to see if the fit feels right.
How sessions work
How therapeutic approaches shape online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take committed steps toward those values even when strong feelings are present. It is useful for anger, anxiety, and life changes when someone wants practical ways to act differently despite difficult emotions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on spotting patterns of thinking and behavior that keep problems going and practicing small experiments to change those patterns. CBT is commonly used for anger, depression, and stress to reduce reactivity and build new habits. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early and current relationship patterns affect how people respond to others. It can help when anger and conflict trace back to feeling misunderstood or fearing rejection.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Maria will collaborate with each person to decide which combination of methods fits their goals and preferences. That collaborative process includes setting clear, manageable steps and checking what is helping as sessions progress.
The biography does not specify which session formats are offered, so confirm current online options before booking. In general, online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy day, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. Therapists can use online sessions to practice new skills between meetings and to review real-life situations that come up in daily life.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
13+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English, Spanish
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of issues does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, anger, depression, addictions, relationship and family concerns, and related issues listed in her specialties.
How would she approach anger or temper problems?
She uses practical strategies such as cognitive behavioral techniques and acceptance-based practices to notice triggers, shift unhelpful thoughts, and practice different reactions.
What is her professional background?
She has 13 years of clinical experience and reports work with parenting challenges, mood shifts, and interpersonal conflict.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a California LMFT and practices from California.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish, and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are used?
The original biography does not list specific session formats; confirm current session options before booking.
How does pricing work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I start working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
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 anyone is unsafe, use the crisis numbers.