Maria Rivera, LCSW

Based in North Carolina 15 years in practice Online sessions

Compassionate, practical therapy for strong emotions

Book with Maria

Works with

Anger
Stress, Anxiety
Addictions
Relationship issues
Trauma and abuse
Anger management

How Maria works

Practical facts

Credentials: LCSW
Licensed in: North Carolina
Years in practice: 15
Languages: English
Session format: Online, through our partner platform

About Maria

Maria Rivera is a licensed clinical social worker with 15 years of experience helping people manage strong emotions and life stressors. She focuses on building clear goals and practical skills to reduce overwhelming reactions, including anger and anxiety. Maria speaks English and practices from North Carolina as an LCSW.

Her approach is straightforward and person-focused. She listens first, then helps people notice what matters most to them. From there she suggests simple steps they can try between sessions to test what works.

Background and approach

These steps often address mood, coping with change, and everyday conflicts that raise stress. Maria often uses tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to spot patterns in thinking and behavior that keep problems going. She also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify values and accept difficult feelings while taking meaningful action.

Motivational Interviewing supports people who want change but feel stuck, especially around addictions or behavior change. Sessions tend to be collaborative and practical. Conversations aim to make skills usable in real life, such as managing anger, addressing relationship concerns, or handling grief and loss.

She also supports people with parenting strain, ADHD, chronic health challenges, and body image concerns. To begin, a person completes a short matching questionnaire and schedules a session. Maria works with the information people bring and tailors steps to their needs.

Her style is calm, direct, and focused on making steady, workable progress.

What Maria works with

Everything Maria lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Maria's practice.

Approaches Maria lists

Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.

How therapeutic approaches guide online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people name what matters and take small actions that match those values even when feelings are hard. It can be useful for anger, anxiety, and coping with life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors to reduce symptoms like anxiety, depression, and problematic patterns. Motivational Interviewing supports people who feel unsure about change by strengthening their own motivation and commitment. Choosing an approach is a team process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn't worked before. Together they decide which methods to try and adapt them over time so the work feels relevant and useful. Online formats make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, while phone sessions work well when bandwidth or screen time is limited. Live chat and text-based messaging are useful for quick check-ins, homework support, or shorter exchanges between sessions. These options support regular contact, flexibility in scheduling, and different ways to practice new skills in everyday settings.

Questions people ask about Maria

What concerns does she help with?

She helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, anger, addictions, relationship and trauma-related concerns, plus issues like grief, eating struggles, ADHD, and coping with life changes.

What is her therapy style like?

Her style is collaborative and practical. She listens first, then suggests concrete steps to try between sessions.

How much experience does she have?

She has 15 years of professional experience working with a wide range of emotional and behavioral concerns.

What credentials and location apply?

Maria holds an LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker in North Carolina and she practices from that state.

Which languages are supported?

Sessions are offered in English.

What session formats are available?

Sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs.

How does cost and payment work?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I get started?

Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.