- Years in practice
- 20
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Licensed in
- Florida
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Family conflicts
About Maria
Maria Clara Salazar-Pretto is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, parenting challenges, and relationship or intimacy concerns. She speaks English and Spanish and brings two decades of clinical experience to sessions. Her approach aims to be practical and straightforward so busy parents can find useful tools quickly.
She has 20 years of experience working in hospitals, health centers, and personal agencies. Maria Clara earned her master’s degree in social work from California State University, Fresno, and has an undergraduate background in clinical psychology.
Background and approach
That mix of education and varied settings shaped a down-to-earth style aimed at real life problems. In sessions she focuses on clear goals and practical skills. She uses client-centered methods and evidence-informed strategies to help people change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors.
She teaches coping skills for anxiety, techniques for managing anger, and ways to handle compassion fatigue and career stress. She also draws on solution-focused ideas and mindfulness practices to help people make gradual changes. Those methods can be useful for parenting concerns, coping with life transitions, and rebuilding self-esteem.
The intent is to give short, usable tools parents can try between meetings. Maria Clara accepts international clients and offers work in English and Spanish. She offers several online formats so people can fit sessions into busy schedules.
She aims to collaborate with each person to choose approaches that match their goals and daily life.
What Maria works with
Everything Maria lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Maria helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Blended family issues
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Immigration issues
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Self-harm
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Maria lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Practical Approaches for Online Parenting Support
Maria Clara often uses Client-Centered Therapy to create a respectful, listening-based space where parents can talk through worries and set meaningful goals. This approach focuses on understanding each person’s point of view and shaping goals around what matters most to them.She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which helps identify unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors. CBT is useful for anxiety, mood concerns, and everyday parenting stress because it gives step-by-step tools for coping and problem solving.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss options, try techniques, and adjust the plan based on the client's needs, goals, and preferences. That collaborative process helps choose strategies that fit a parent's schedule and priorities.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different routines. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation for skills practice. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a quick check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging can work for brief coaching, homework support, or follow-up between sessions. These options are intended to make therapy more flexible and easier to fit into busy family life.
Questions people ask about Maria
What concerns does she help address?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, parenting challenges, relationship and intimacy issues, anger, self-esteem, and related concerns like compassion fatigue and ADHD.
What is her general therapy style?
The style is client-centered and goal oriented, emphasizing practical skills, empathy, and active listening to help people make changes that fit their lives.
How much experience does she have?
She has 20 years of experience working in hospitals, health centers, and personal agencies with adults across the life span.
What credentials and location information are provided?
She holds the LCSW credential and practices from Florida as a licensed clinical social worker.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish, and she is available to work with international clients.
What session formats are available?
Sessions may be conducted via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on what works best for the person.
How is payment handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session based on the therapist's availability.
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