Couples therapists in Carlsbad, CA

Hi, I’m Amaris, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who believes healing happens best in a space where you feel safe, understood, and never judged.

I work with children, teens, adults, and older adults navigating anxiety, ADHD, emotional overwhelm, grief, and major life transitions. Whether your child is having big feelings they don’t know how to manage, you’re feeling stuck in patterns that don’t serve you, or your family is walking through the heartbreak of dementia or loss, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

My style is supportive, down-to-earth, and collaborative. Therapy with me isn’t about “fixing” you, it’s about helping you understand yourself, build practical tools, and feel more confident handling life’s challenges. I blend evidence-based approaches with compassion, creativity, and sometimes even humor, because growth doesn’t have to feel heavy all the time.

Parents appreciate that I help kids build emotional regulation skills in ways that make sense to them, and I make sure caregivers feel supported too. Adults often come to me when anxiety, emotional ups and downs, or grief feel overwhelming. I also have a special place in my heart for working with older adults and families facing Alzheimer’s, dementia, and end-of-life changes.

At the core of my work is this belief:

You are not broken, you’re human, and you’re capable of growth.

If you’re ready for a space where you can show up exactly as you are, we’ll work at your pace, together.

Starting therapy can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. I’m Maria Zavala, a Bilingual/Bicultural Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in California. I offer a warm, supportive space where you can show up exactly as you are. I work with individuals navigating stress, life transitions, identity exploration, and emotional challenges, with a strong focus on culturally responsive care. My goal is to help you feel seen, understood, grounded, and safe while we gently explore what’s been weighing on you and begin creating a path forward that feels authentic, steady, and truly yours.

I am an LMFT trained and experienced in a wide variety of health conditions and clinical disorders associated with Psychology providing the highest standard of patient care. I am a Registered Play Therapist (RPT).

I offer a supportive, affirming space where clients can show up authentically. I guide individuals in rediscovering themselves and taking meaningful steps toward a more purposeful and aligned life.

I work with adults and couples who feel stuck in patterns that insight alone hasn't changed. Specializing in Veteran care, anxiety, depression, and gender affirming care, I will provide a focused, grounded, and effective approach to therapy. My practice as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) is centered on helping clients clarify what is maintaining their difficulties and develop practical and sustainable ways of shifting them.

More that fifteen years of teaching English and drama at a Los Angeles public high school taught me many things - primarily, it taught me how often people's barriers to achievement are not due to any lack of skill or ability, but rather from emotional barriers stemming from stress, adversity and trauma. So, I went back to graduate school to pursue a new career as a therapist so that I could help in a different way. My training and experience has focused on treating anxiety disorders, PTSD (including Complex-PTSD) and also couples - helping them to navigate challenges and triggers so that they can reset and reconnect.

Emphasis on SELF~LOVE simply loving yourself unconditionally 1st, 2nd, and 3rd allows for a greater capacity to attract MANIFEST and receive the greatest REMEDY “LEARNING TO LOVE ONE’S SELF”

YOU MUST LOVE YOURSELF more patiently COMPASSIONATELY graciously SINCERELY and honestly with FORGIVENESS

Determined COMMITMENT to being ABSOLUTELY HONESTY with OURSELVES & ULTIMATELY SURRENDERING TO OUR HEART’S PURPOSE WILL IGNITE the GREATEST and most PHENOMENAL expression “THE PERFECTING OF SELF LOVE”

As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I have helped hundreds of individuals, couples, and families navigate some of the most challenging times in their lives with compassion and practical help. It makes such a difference to have someone in your corner with a listening ear and wisdom for life's journey!