Therapist profile
Maria Rivera, LCSW
North Carolina
LCSW in North Carolina - anxiety and relationships
Continue with MariaWhere Maria stands
- Credentials
- LCSW
- License
- LCSW, North Carolina / C007456
- NPI
- 1003197633
- Experience
- 15 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- North Carolina
About
- CBT methods
- ACT strategies
- Motivational interviewing
About Maria
Maria Rivera is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, licensed in North Carolina with 15 years of clinical experience. She works with adults who face stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, trauma, and relationship concerns. Maria also addresses parenting strain, grief, self-esteem, ADHD, and patterns like codependency.
Her approach begins by listening to each person's story and noticing strengths they already use. She draws on practical methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people spot unhelpful thinking and test new behaviors. Sessions focus on small, doable steps rather than big promises.
Maria uses client-centered and solution-focused strategies to help people clarify what matters to them. She also uses motivational interviewing to support change when someone feels stuck. These methods are used to work through specific problems like anger, communication problems, commitment concerns, and coping with life changes.
People who have experienced trauma, abandonment, or issues related to adoption and foster care can expect careful pacing and attention to boundaries in session. Maria has worked with long-term conditions including chronic pain, illness, caregiving stress, and cancer-related concerns and brings that experience into planning realistic supports.
Practical issues such as body image, eating concerns, blended family dynamics, and attachment issues are addressed with targeted tools and behavioral steps. Maria encourages clients to try strategies between sessions and to notice what helps in everyday life.
To start, she asks for a brief matching questionnaire and then schedules a first appointment. The intake process is straightforward and aimed at clarifying goals and the best way to proceed.
How sessions work
Therapeutic approaches and how online sessions work
Maria draws from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in her work. ACT focuses on clarifying values and helping people take actions that align with what matters, which can help with patterns like people-pleasing and codependency. CBT helps identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, often with specific exercises to try between sessions.She also uses client-centered methods to listen and reflect what matters to the individual, and motivational interviewing to support readiness for change. Choosing the right mix of these approaches is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with the person to test methods and adjust based on what fits their goals and preferences.
Confirm specific session formats before booking because the biography does not list them. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - for example some formats allow shorter check-ins during a workday, or permit not being on camera during part of a session, or avoid travel time. These practical benefits help people maintain momentum and try new behaviors in real situations while working with a licensed professional.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
15+ years
Listed in
North Carolina
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, depression, and codependency among other concerns.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is practical and person-focused, using CBT, ACT, client-centered work, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused techniques to try small, useful changes.
How much experience does she have?
Maria has 15 years of professional experience working with adults on a range of mental health and life stress issues.
Is she a licensed clinician and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, licensed in North Carolina and practices under that credential.
Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are offered?
Please confirm current session options before booking since formats are not specified in the biography.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe at home, use the crisis and helpline numbers.