Maria received her Master's in Counseling & Development as well as her Master's in Music Therapy from Texas Woman's University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC) and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). Maria has worked in a variety of mental health settings since 2009. Additionally Maria has specialized training in working with children with special needs, trauma/abuse, grief/loss, chemical dependency, family therapy, and play therapy.

Maria believes counseling is a collaborative journey and that her role as a counselor is to provide a safe place for people to gain insight and practice new skills towards a healthier lifestyle. Her therapy style is eclectic and she individualizes each client's therapy to best suit their needs and personality style. She draws on various humanistic and cognitive behavioral approaches such as Person/Child Centered, Non-directive Play Therapy, Adlerian, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, and Solution Focused. Additionally Maria brings in her Music Therapy training to enhance the counseling sessions or to provide clients alternative means to express themselves.

Maria's current practice includes children, adolescents, adults, and families. Her emphasis is on depression, anxiety, trauma, stress management, grief/loss, substance abuse, and anger management.

Maria is a member of the American Counseling Association, Texas Counseling Association, and American Music Therapy Association.