Maria A. Rios

(MA, LMFT)

About Me

HELLO!

I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California (LMFT) and I have been working in a counseling field since 2012. I have experience working in residential and outpatient settings and in my own private practice with clients experiencing depression, anxiety, relationship and parenting issues, teen concerns, and a wide range of challenges including grief/loss, insomnia, addiction, trauma, abuse, OCD, bipolar, as well as personal growth, adjustment issues, and crisis.

I mostly tend to draw from the person-centered approach when in a therapeutic relationship with my clients. This means that I make consistent efforts to meet each client "where they are" and to serve as a catalyst to each individual who is progressing through their unique process of self-discovery and self-identification.

In my work with clients, I use some leading psychological modalities, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Solution-Focused Therapy. I also utilize Narrative, Strategic, and Existential approaches.

My Educational Credentials include:
- National University Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology
- Licensed by State of California Board of Behavioral Sciences
- Beck Institute (CBT Training)
- Yale University (The Science of Well-Being Course)

I enjoy and feel honored to be a part of someone’s personal experiences, as our problems and feelings are unique and yet we are all one and together. This is the way I like to approach my sessions – as a team, addressing challenges together to become free from judgment, criticism, and pain; to change our negative perceptions that do not serve us well; and to live a joyful and peaceful life.

For my professional growth, I continuously read related literature, keep myself up to date with the ethical and legal guidelines in the field, and the latest research, and attend conferences and trainings.

I believe in creating a space where we can have difficult conversations, work on resolving issues and collaborate on treatment plans that are tailored to your personal needs and experiences. It takes a lot of courage and motivation to reach out for additional support. I am here for you and thank you for trusting me with your utmost personal dilemmas.


I look forward to working with you!

Specialties

  • Stress, Anxiety
  • Addictions
  • Relationship issues
  • Grief
  • Depression
Also experienced in:
Trauma and abuse , Sleeping disorders , Parenting issues , Anger management , Self esteem , Coping with life changes

Clinical approaches:
Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy

Years of Experience: 8

Services Offered


  • Messaging

  • Live Chat

Licensing

LMFT #103865 (Expires: 2021-08-01)

Reviews

Written by J.E. on May 16, 2020 after counseling with Maria for 8 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, and self esteem

Maria is very understanding and supportive. She is very responsive and really listens to what you have to say and how you feel.

Written by J.A. on May 14, 2020 after counseling with Maria for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, grief, and parenting issues

Maria is compassionate and helps me feel heard. Her communication style doesn't make any assumptions and prompts me to come to the answers on my own.

Written by J.E. on May 03, 2020 after counseling with Maria for 2 weeks on issues concerning relationship issues, and grief

I'm actively taking counseling from Maria and she's really been great. She's very genuine with her responses and I feel like she's really gauging who I am. Maria is Thorough with her explanations and she gives me time to process how I'm feeling. She's been encouraging through my journey and I look forward to more learning and processing with her.

Written by A.L. on Nov 29, 2019 after counseling with Maria for 2 months on issues concerning depression, and self esteem

I worked with Maria for a few months and she was very supportive in helping me through my issues, and she gave me a variety of strategies to try. Ultimately, she does care about her patients and you can tell as much from the timely manner and in-depth responses you receive from her.

Written by S.H. on Sep 12, 2019 after counseling with Maria for 2 weeks

Maria is incredible! I feel comfortable sharing with her and to be honest she has helped me already more than any other counselor ever has. I’m so grateful and blessed to have found her! Thank you so much! :)

Written by B.O. on Aug 10, 2019 after counseling with Maria for 4 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship issues, family conflicts, intimacy-related issues, sleeping disorders, self esteem, career difficulties, coping with life changes, coaching, and adhd

Maria has helped me greatly. As a person who is working through recovery and mental illness, she is highly qualified to help me in these areas. She messages to touch base and thoroughly reads every thing I pour out. I am someone who has experienced severe mood and anxiety disorders for many years, so I am always suspicious if a counselor is qualified. She definitely is.

Written by L.I. on Aug 01, 2019 after counseling with Maria for 4 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, and relationship issues

I've been working with Maria for a couple months now and found this time so worthwhile. I feel like she's very good at understanding where I'm coming from and supports me in a loving and compassionate way. She has a way of guiding me to feel more empowered and to think for myself. I look forward to her messages and phone calls because she more often than not offers another insight I can reflect on. I would highly recommend her to my friends who is looking for support towards a healthy and compassionate self.

Written by S.A. on Jul 17, 2019 after counseling with Maria for 2 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, grief, sleeping disorders, self esteem, and anger management

She knows her stuff. She has challenged me to be better without pushing too hard. With her help, I’ve been able to make the changes in my life to feel happier.

Written by M.A. on Jul 12, 2019 after counseling with Maria for 4 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, sleeping disorders, and anger management

Fantastic Counselor. I love it here!

Written by M.A. on Jun 13, 2019 after counseling with Maria for 2 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, family conflicts, grief, and sleeping disorders

Listens and response is helpful. Cares about her patient.

Written by A.L. on Jun 09, 2019 after counseling with Maria for 2 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, self esteem, and career difficulties

So far my sessions with Mr. Rios have been very productive. She understands my issues and shows true concerns. I'm still new to online therapy so I'm still trying to get the hang of it.

Written by A.D. on Apr 13, 2019 after counseling with Maria for 3 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, self esteem, coping with life changes, and coaching

Maria was exactly what I was looking for. I knew I needed someone who would hear me and provide tools to cope and deal with locked up feelings, prior traumas and PTSD. She's listened, acknowledged, given helpful materials and perspective. I appreciate the help in moving through emotions in my search to find overall well being and balance.

Written by S.P. on Apr 11, 2019 after counseling with Maria for 2 weeks

Maria was very helpful in our first phone call. After talking back and forth over messaging, she was able to help me think through what is going on in my life and provide insight.

Written by L.E. on Apr 03, 2019 after counseling with Maria for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, family conflicts, grief, parenting issues, self esteem, and coping with life changes

María has explained to me and broke down everything other therapist haven't. Maria is very understanding and caring with her answers.

Written by B.I. on Mar 24, 2019 after counseling with Maria for 3 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, family conflicts, self esteem, and coping with life changes

Maria is amazing at finding way to help build communication skills which i found extremely helping! She’s patient and is very interacting when it comes to practicing such skills. I’m glad she was put as my counselor :)

Written by C.H. on Mar 15, 2019 after counseling with Maria for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, grief, and coping with life changes

She brings in a calm energy in which it is easy to open up to her and a great listener. She allows you to speak her peace and guide the conversation. She’s made me feel better about myself in the sense that I can let my guard down and be vulnerable and feel lighter.

Written by R.I. on Mar 07, 2019 after counseling with Maria for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, sleeping disorders, self esteem, career difficulties, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue

She’s amazing!

Written by R.O. on Mar 06, 2019 after counseling with Maria for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, and self esteem

Maria is awesome and has helped immensely!