Maria Shkreli

What I want clients to know about me is that I am not the kind of therapist who will just sit back, nod, and ask, “How does that make you feel?” I am warm, honest, direct, and very involved in the work we do together.

My strongest area of work is relationship and family dynamics. I help individuals, couples, and families understand the patterns that create conflict, distance, resentment, poor communication, and emotional disconnection. Many of my clients come to me feeling unheard, disrespected, emotionally exhausted, or unsure of how to move forward in an important relationship.

I also work with people who grew up in difficult or dysfunctional family environments and are now recognizing how those experiences may still be affecting their boundaries, relationships, parenting, self-worth, and emotional responses. I help clients understand not only what is happening, but how the pattern developed and what they can begin doing differently.

I believe insight is important, but insight alone is not enough. I want therapy to help you connect the dots and develop practical ways to communicate, set boundaries, manage conflict, and respond differently. I will support you, but I will also challenge you when I believe you are minimizing your needs, repeating unhealthy patterns, or avoiding something important.

I am not here to judge you, label the people in your life, or tell you what decisions to make. My role is to help you see things more clearly, understand what is within your control, and feel more confident in how you choose to move forward.

In addition to relationship and family concerns, I also work with anxiety, ADHD, emotional overwhelm, life transitions, and the impact these challenges can have on everyday functioning and relationships.

My approach to therapy is active, honest, and practical. I do not believe therapy should be a place where you talk about the same problems every week without gaining a clearer understanding of what is happening or what needs to change.

I help clients connect the dots between their past experiences, current relationships, emotional reactions, and repeated patterns. Together, we look at what is happening beneath the surface, how certain patterns developed, and how they continue to affect your choices, boundaries, communication, and relationships.

I am supportive, but I am also direct. I will challenge you when needed, especially when I notice that you may be minimizing your needs, avoiding a difficult truth, repeating a harmful pattern, or taking responsibility for things that are not yours to carry. My goal is never to judge or pressure you, but to help you see your situation more clearly.

I use a combination of education, self-reflection, practical strategies, and honest conversation. I believe clients should understand the “why” behind their reactions, but also leave therapy with tools they can actually use outside of the session.

Therapy with me is collaborative. I will not tell you what decision to make, but I will help you slow things down, recognize what is within your control, and make choices that are more intentional and aligned with what you truly need.

In the first session, I want to understand what brought you to therapy, what has been happening in your life, and what you feel is no longer working.

You do not need to come in knowing exactly what to say or having everything figured out. We will talk through what has been most difficult, the patterns you may be noticing, and what you hope will feel different as a result of therapy.

I may ask questions about your relationships, family history, current stressors, emotional responses, and the ways you have been coping. This helps me begin connecting the dots and understanding the bigger picture, not just the immediate problem.

My first session is conversational, but it is also focused. I want you to feel heard, but I also want you to leave with a clearer understanding of where we may begin and what we will work on together.

You can expect honesty, warmth, and directness from me. I will not rush you, judge you, or expect you to share more than you are ready to share. At the same time, I will begin helping you look at the patterns, behaviors, and experiences that may be contributing to what you are currently struggling with.