about maria
Maria (pronouns: she, her, hers) is a mental health counselor and life coach specializing in perinatal emotional health during preconception and fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and early parenthood. She is particularly interested in how race and culture impact building a family, as well as identity, relationships, and mental health. She uses equity, feminist, liberation, and justice lenses to understand her client's experiences. Believing in her clients' autonomy and self-knowledge, Maria works collaboratively to client strengths and insight, rather than with illnesses or disorders, and she helps clients build on those strengths using interpersonal, narrative, mind/body, and cognitive behavioral techniques. Additionally, Maria spent 10 years as a doula, attending about 300 births in that time. While no longer practicing, her respect for her clients' instincts, strengths, and empowered choices - the foundation of doula work - continues to guide her.
Maria (pronouns: she, her, hers) is a mental health counselor and life coach specializing in perinatal emotional health during preconception and fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and early parenthood. She is particularly interested in how race and culture impact building a family, as well as identity, relationships, and mental health. She uses equity, feminist, liberation, and justice lenses to understand her client's experiences. Believing in her clients' autonomy and self-knowledge, Maria works collaboratively to client strengths and insight, rather than with illnesses or disorders, and she helps clients build on those strengths using interpersonal, narrative, mind/body, and cognitive behavioral techniques. Additionally, Maria spent 10 years as a doula, attending about 300 births in that time. While no longer practicing, her respect for her clients' instincts, strengths, and empowered choices - the foundation of doula work - continues to guide her.
education, trainings, and certifications
Maria has an M. Ed. in Mental Health Counseling and is a Board Certified Life Coach and Relationship Coach through the Center for Credentialing and Education. She is also a certified Perinatal Mental Health specialist through Postpartum Support International. Maria has been trained in Interpersonal Psychotherapy (A level IPT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and she continues to study trauma-informed counseling and coaching.
In November of 2021, Maria began a PhD in Psychology through Northcentral University. Her research interests are second generation immigrants, intergenerational immigration trauma, and cultural identity.
Maria has an M. Ed. in Mental Health Counseling and is a Board Certified Life Coach and Relationship Coach through the Center for Credentialing and Education. She is also a certified Perinatal Mental Health specialist through Postpartum Support International. Maria has been trained in Interpersonal Psychotherapy (A level IPT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and she continues to study trauma-informed counseling and coaching.
In November of 2021, Maria began a PhD in Psychology through Northcentral University. Her research interests are second generation immigrants, intergenerational immigration trauma, and cultural identity.
location
Maria is located in Boston, MA and sees clients virtually.
social justice and equity
Due to the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others, the country is waking up to the pain and struggle that Black people have been fighting since they were enslaved and brought here. Systemic inequities are especially highlighted in maternal medical and mental health care. Black women have a more than three times greater mortality rate in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum than white women. Mental health systems of care have the same inequities with the same devastating outcomes.
The coronavirus that has devastated the globe, and in the US is responsible for more than 900,000 deaths, has also brought to light the discrimination that Asian people have experienced for decades. Maria identifies as Filipina; currently, Filipina nurses are the largest demographic of medical professionals who have died from COVID 19. Random hate crimes against Asians have increased by more than 200%. Asian stories as Americans of color have been invisible until now.
#blacklivesmatter and #stopasianhate are more than just hashtags to Maria. They represent values that are core to her life and her professional practice.
Maria's counseling and coaching practice is committed to being anti-racist, using the following guidelines:
Due to the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others, the country is waking up to the pain and struggle that Black people have been fighting since they were enslaved and brought here. Systemic inequities are especially highlighted in maternal medical and mental health care. Black women have a more than three times greater mortality rate in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum than white women. Mental health systems of care have the same inequities with the same devastating outcomes.
The coronavirus that has devastated the globe, and in the US is responsible for more than 900,000 deaths, has also brought to light the discrimination that Asian people have experienced for decades. Maria identifies as Filipina; currently, Filipina nurses are the largest demographic of medical professionals who have died from COVID 19. Random hate crimes against Asians have increased by more than 200%. Asian stories as Americans of color have been invisible until now.
#blacklivesmatter and #stopasianhate are more than just hashtags to Maria. They represent values that are core to her life and her professional practice.
Maria's counseling and coaching practice is committed to being anti-racist, using the following guidelines:
- Cultural competence and humility: Maria continue to educate herself on the impact of racism, and racial and systemic inequities on an individual, a family, and a community. This learning is in addition to her own experiences; at the same time, no matter how different a racialized experience is from hers, she always believes it, and she believes in the expertise of the person telling Maria their story. Additionally, as a woman who also has privilege, she participates in learning that teaches her how her actions may further those inequities; with each lesson, she humbly pledge to do better.
- Appropriate referrals: Clients may prefer a counselor who looks or identifies like them or has similar/shared lived experiences as them. Maria is obligated to network with colleagues so that she can make referrals based on client needs and client preferences regarding gender, race, sexual identity, or other pertinent traits that the client values.
- Access to care: Clients, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, physical abilities, or financial situation, are welcome, their value affirmed, and their dignity upheld.
personal
Maria lives in Boston, where she and her husband are committed to raising their 3 children in an urban and diverse environment. In her spare time, Maria loves the beach in all seasons, walks in the woods with her dog, and sings. She also loves pretending she's an urban gardener and a photographer. The sunflowers on this site are her own images.
Maria lives in Boston, where she and her husband are committed to raising their 3 children in an urban and diverse environment. In her spare time, Maria loves the beach in all seasons, walks in the woods with her dog, and sings. She also loves pretending she's an urban gardener and a photographer. The sunflowers on this site are her own images.