Maria Ward , LMFT

Maria Ward is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) practicing in California with 13 years of clinical experience. She is certified in Trauma Focus, a modality designed to address the effects of trauma, and has supported individuals, couples, and families through a wide range of emotional and behavioral challenges.

Her practice includes work with stress and anxiety, trauma and abuse, anger management, depression and mood shifts, addictions, relationship and family concerns, grief, intimacy issues, parenting difficulties, career transitions, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and coping with life changes. She also addresses related areas such as abandonment, adoption and foster care, attachment issues, blended family dynamics, body image, caregiver stress, codependency, communication and control issues, divorce and separation, domestic violence, and substance-related problems.

Maria approaches therapy from a collaborative, strengths-based perspective, honoring that each person is the expert on their own story. She offers practical tools and evidence-informed techniques drawn from acceptance and commitment therapy, attachment-based work, client-centered principles, cognitive behavioral strategies, and emotionally-focused methods. Services are offered in English and Spanish, and she emphasizes steady support, active listening, and partnership as clients take the initial steps toward their goals.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters most to them and take meaningful action even when difficult thoughts or feelings arise. It is useful for stress, anxiety, and navigating life transitions by building psychological flexibility.

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationship patterns shape current ways of relating and can be especially helpful for intimacy issues, attachment concerns, parenting challenges, and family dynamics. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes empathy, respect, and collaboration so clients can explore their experience, strengthen self-understanding, and develop confidence to address depression, self-esteem, and coping skills.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Maria works collaboratively with each person to identify which methods best fit their goals, needs, and preferences, and she adjusts the plan as progress and priorities evolve.

Online therapy options - including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - make it easier to fit care into busy schedules and to continue work through life changes. These formats offer flexibility and accessibility, allowing licensed professionals to deliver tailored, evidence-informed support across different settings and circumstances.