I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment.

In a world of noise, I provide a place of quiet, offering room to focus and think.

You shouldn't have to tackle life's obstacles on your own. Working together collaboratively, my hope is to help my clients understand how they came to be the way they are and create a clear direction to overcome emotional obstacles and uncover strength and resilience. By exploring the past and also working toward a positive future, my goal is to work with one another to reduce guilt, shame and anxiety to be able to ease through life's transitions, overcome ambivalence, make good decisions, and have fulfilling relationships. I particularly like working with young adults, folks going through transitions, and those who have experienced trauma as a child. I also enjoy working with those who would like to incorporate psychotherapy into one's "self care" routine, as a time to slow down and gain deeper insight into one's own patterns. My training is in a variety of different types of psychotherapeutic interventions. I use an individualized approach, drawing from relational, psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, EMDR, mindfulness and attachment based approaches to meet your needs. Together in our initial sessions, we can discuss what modality might work best for you. I believe a safe and trusting therapeutic relationship is necessary to achieve optimal results in therapy, so I'd love to speak with you to see if we both think we are a good match. Please feel free to call for a free phone consultation!

I assist clients that have endured trauma and stress. Are you looking to find relief through compassionate and effective treatment? If you are interested in finding relief from conditions that have affected your mood, your relationships, your work, andor your habits in a negative way, call or email me now. Together, we can walk the path of recovery together until you have reached your imagined destination. Let's work on overcoming intimate partner violence, anger, toxicity, infidelity, addiction, self-hatred, codependency, shame, isolation, fear, neediness, grief, etc... ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Therapy is a journey into a space where your feelings are welcomed and understood. Imagine a calm environment with soft light, warm air, and the gentle scent of lavender. This atmosphere provides comfort and ease, allowing you to settle more deeply into yourself. At the center is a mirror, not an ordinary mirror, but one that reflects your authentic self: vulnerable, radiant, and whole. In this supportive space, you are invited to recognize and accept all aspects of who you are, including your strengths, challenges, and areas of growth. Therapy becomes a process of healing and self-discovery, where you learn to embrace yourself with compassion and openness. With each passing moment, you feel yourself softening, embracing this mirror as it shows you who you truly are. And as you stand there, something shifts. You begin to uncover the pieces that make you whole, cherishing them, nurturing them, letting them grow. The journey of therapy is not just about healing; it is about discovering and embracing the profound beauty within you, piece by piece, moment by moment. In our first session, we will review essential consent forms and complete an intake questionnaire. This allows me to gather vital information about your unique experiences and needs, ensuring that our work together is tailored specifically to you. In subsequent sessions, we will collaboratively create a personalized plan aimed at helping you achieve your goals, fostering growth and healing every step of the way. You are not alone on this journey. I am here to support you in navigating the complexities of your life with compassion and understanding.

In my practice, I work with adults, defined as approximately age 20 and older. I work with individual clients, with couples, and with groups. In group therapy, the clients are almost always in individual therapy as well, with me, with my co-therapist, or with another therapist who has referred the client to the group. I work with clients presenting a variety of issues, including: *Depression Relationship Issues *Life Transitions *Anxiety *Addictive Behaviors *GLBT Issues *Anger *Grief and Loss *Sense of Self/Self-Esteem *Men's Issues *Trauma and PTSD *Partners of Abuse Survivors *Adult Children of Alcoholic/Dysfunctional/Abuse Families *Couples Issues, including Re-Marriage, Extramarital Relationships, and Step-Families I have had experience working with diverse groups of people. I have been a consulting psychologist to an orthodox yeshiva, I have worked with Catholic seminarians, I have taught and supervised trainees in a largely Catholic Pastoral Counseling program, and I have taken numerous workshops in working with Gay, Bi, and Lesbian, and Questioning clients. In addition, I have been involved in Multicultural work since 2001, and seek to keep an open mind and continuously question my assumptions about people whose lives are different from mine. I believe that psychotherapy is an interactive process that calls for both the client and the therapist to be as fully involved as possible. Therefore, I participate actively with my patients, sharing my thoughts, impressions, and reactions to what we are talking about. I believe that people can change even long-standing patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior if THEY participate actively. My job is to create a space where clients can be curious and learn about the ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that they bring to their lives, and about how these ways work for them and against them. I create this space by bringing both my professional training and understanding and my human compassion, empathy, and respect. In my practice, I typically meet with people once a week; if there is a need for additional support, or if we decide together that more intense work is called for, meeting twice a week can be very useful. Even meeting once a week allows clients to develop enough comfort with me and with therapy for our work to be effective and helpful. Regarding my theoretical grounding, I have intensive training in Psychodynamic, Cognitive-Behavioral, Gestalt, and Existential therapeutic approaches, and I draw from each of these as the client's situation, needs, and goals call for. Some therapists subscribe to and identify with one school of thought and apply that way of thinking and working to every client. I first work to understand each client's particular issues, needs, and style of thinking and feeling. THEN, I use the approach and methods that I believe would be most useful to that patient, and remain open to using whatever else might work based on what develops. Therefore, my orientation is eclectic, and my methods are determined by the client's personality and needs.

I provide a client-centric approach that leans into compassion so you can feel safe and secure. Through this space, we can get curious and explore areas where you feel stuck or wounded. From here, we can help you shift toward greater health and wellness. At its core, my work focuses on your relationships, including how they impact you and how you impact them. This helps us both widen our understanding and pinpoint areas of concern.

Do you have ruminations that are self-critical? Do you avoid going out or joining social activities? Or maybe you become overwhelmed by anger, fear, shame, dread? Life doesn't have to be that hard. I believe that our behavior patterns are old ways of surviving difficult situations. I bring years of personal and professional experiences and training to foster a safe and collaborative relationship to be curious about your responses, update your system, so to speak, and learn and practice new skills.

At Laurel Fay and Associates, my colleagues and I are committed to providing you with a safe, caring environment in which we can address your unique situation. By carefully listening, I work to get behind the everyday surface of a situation to the underlying meaning. My systemic approach means I look to the dynamics between people rather than solely focusing on the internal workings of one person. Even in individual work, this approach can be helpful and empowering. I often use humor to gently but skillfully pinpoint specific issues and highlight areas of growth.

Hello, I'm Maria, a marriage and family therapist trained to help you and your relationships thrive. Couples you are my specialty! I have advanced training to help you with any type of problem you may be facing. I have 20 years of experience in helping people heal both relationally and individually. I graduated from Virginia Tech, where there was an on-site clinic and the best training for resident students. My approach is through a systemic and attachment perspective. I specialize in marriage and couples counseling, and have advanced training in emotion focused therapy, which is recognized as one of the most effective approaches to resolving relational distress. I also work with families and individuals to help reach the goals you want for yourself so that you can achieve inner healing, process attachment wounds and learn how to live a healed and prosperous life. I am also trained in cognitive behavioral therapy, solution focused therapy, emotions focused individual therapy, and internal family systems. I am a board-approved clinical supervisor and I help other therapists on their journey of becoming a professional, clinical therapist. I understand how difficult reaching out for help can be and how hopeless or fearful you can be. Help is here. Reach out for a free consultation to see if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Do you need to be a priority in your own life? Counseling allows you to begin the healing process and practice good self care so that you can for and embrace others in your life. If you want something different in your life, try something different today. I am the clinical director of Holistic Behavioral Solutions; we have been practicing counselors for 20+ years and we love what we do, it restores our passion for life and allows us to transfer this passion to you. We believe that we need to use every tool available to us to help bring out the best you. The treatment modality is primarily HUMANISTIC in nature, we are non-judgmental and feel that our clients are doing their best with their current resources. Our therapeutic space is a place for you to heal and restore.

My approach to therapy is focused on creating a safe space someone can explore challenging thoughts and emotions, whether it is related to depression anxiety or struggles with addiction or compulsive behaviors. I truly believe if a person feels heard, learns effective coping skills and has the time and space to process the challenges in life, that growth and the ability to create the lives we want, is possible. I am passionate in supporting individuals to seek the potential and confidence to work toward their goals as well as learn the skill needed to cope with life's issues and challenges.