Maria Cardenas

I've been doing this work for 18 years, and the thing I hear most from new clients is some version of: "I wasn't sure therapy would work for me." I get it. Finding the right fit matters — and I think fit has a lot to do with feeling like your therapist actually understands where you're coming from. I offer therapy in both English and Spanish, and I bring a genuinely culturally informed perspective to the work. I see adults navigating anxiety, trauma, grief, depression, family conflict, ADHD, identity questions, and relationship stress — across communities that are often underrepresented in mental health care. I'm direct when that's useful, patient when it's needed, and warm throughout.

I don't use a single method for everyone. Depending on what you're working through, I might lean into CBT to help you understand how your thinking affects your mood, or Trauma-Focused CBT if you're processing something from the past. For clients who want practical tools right away, I bring in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy. For deeper relational patterns, I work from attachment theory. I also draw on mindfulness and strength-based approaches because I genuinely believe you already have more internal resources than you realize — my job is to help you access them. The work adapts to you, not the other way around.

Expect a real conversation — not a checklist. I'll ask you about what's been going on, what's brought you to therapy now, and what you're hoping for. You don't need to have a clear answer to that last one. Some people come in knowing exactly what they want to work on; others just know something needs to change. Both are completely fine starting points. I want the first session to feel like you left knowing a little more about what working together might look like — and ideally, a little lighter than when you came in.