Maria Martinez

Hola, I’m Maria Martinez, LMFT, a bilingual (English/Spanish) therapist and founder of Con Ganas Therapy, providing telehealth services across California. I work with older children (11+), teens, adults and families navigating anxiety, stress, life transitions, identity, and relationship challenges.

My style is warm, collaborative, and culturally responsive. As a Mexican-American Latina and daughter of immigrant parents, I understand how culture, family expectations, and lived experiences can shape emotional well-being. I strive to create a space where you feel seen, respected, and able to show up as you are—without judgment.

In our work together, we focus on building emotional awareness, strengthening coping skills, and shifting patterns that may no longer serve you. I integrate trauma-informed, evidence-based approaches such as CBT, mindfulness, and attachment-focused work, while moving at a pace that feels supportive and realistic.

“Con ganas” means moving forward with heart and intention. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or ready for change, therapy can be a space to slow down, gain clarity, and reconnect with yourself. I look forward to supporting you in that process.

My approach to therapy is collaborative, culturally responsive, and grounded in compassion. I believe healing happens when you feel safe enough to be real—messy, overwhelmed, unsure, or hopeful. I work alongside clients to explore patterns, build emotional awareness, and develop coping tools that actually feel usable in everyday life, not just in theory.

I draw from CBT, attachment-based work, mindfulness, and strengths-based approaches, but I focus most on creating a space that feels supportive and honest. With older children and teens, I tailor sessions to their developmental needs and include caregiver collaboration when helpful. With adults and families, we look at relational patterns, stress, identity, and the ways culture and life experiences shape how we move through the world.

My style is warm, direct, and down-to-earth. I’ll meet you where you are while gently challenging the patterns that may be keeping you stuck. We move at a pace that feels manageable and intentional, working toward more clarity, confidence, and self-trust. My hope is that therapy feels like a place where you can show up fully and move forward—con ganas.

Our first session is really just a chance for us to connect and get a feel for each other. We’ll talk about what’s been going on in your world, what’s bringing you to therapy right now, and what you’re hoping support might look like. You don’t need to have the “right” words or a perfectly organized story—most people come in feeling a little unsure, and that’s completely okay. You can show up exactly as you are, and we’ll take things one step at a time.

I’ll ask some questions to understand your background, what’s been weighing on you, and what you want more or less of in your life.

My style is warm, honest, and pretty down-to-earth. I’m not here to judge or rush you—I’m here to get to know you and figure out how I can support you in a way that feels realistic and helpful. By the end of our first session, my hope is that you feel a little more comfortable, a little more understood, and clearer about what working together might look like moving forward... con ganas.