- 11 years experience
- Person-centered care
- Goal focused
About Maria
Maria Smartt is an independently licensed social worker who has practiced for 11 years in Michigan and Ohio. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, parenting concerns, low self-esteem, depression, and issues with motivation and addictions. Maria emphasizes respect and compassion in sessions and focuses on each person’s individual needs.
Her work is practical and direct. She adapts conversations and treatment plans to fit what each person is looking for. Sessions tend to focus on clear goals and steps people can use between meetings to make progress.
Maria uses approaches that center on the person and their experience. She also draws on tools from cognitive behavioral therapy to help change unhelpful thinking and habits. Motivational interviewing is part of how she supports shifts in behavior and readiness for change.
She has experience addressing relationship strain and family issues, and works with people dealing with adoption and foster care questions as well as veteran and armed forces concerns. Her style aims to be practical and nonjudgmental so people feel heard and understood.
Maria asks for frank conversation about what’s working and what isn’t. That helps shape a plan that fits daily life and personal goals. Her aim is to support realistic steps toward a more satisfying routine and healthier coping.
How these approaches guide online therapy choices
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and reflecting back what matters to the person. It helps people feel heard and make sense of their own priorities when stress, parenting strain, or relationship concerns feel overwhelming.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It helps people notice unhelpful thinking patterns and try new behaviors to reduce anxiety, low mood, or anger.
Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative way to help people find their own reasons to change. It is useful when motivation for steps like reducing substance use or improving parenting routines is mixed.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Maria will collaborate with each person to select methods that match their goals, preferences, and daily life. That may mean trying a few techniques to see what fits best before settling on a plan.
Confirm current session options before booking, since formats are not specified here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, shorten travel time, and allow check-ins that focus on concrete goals. It can also let someone choose sessions that work with their schedule, such as brief updates during a break or longer weekly meetings, depending on what the therapist and client agree will be most helpful.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
11+ years
Listed in
Ohio, Michigan
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Maria commonly help with?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, parenting challenges, low self-esteem, depression, addictions, LGBT concerns, relationship and family issues, and anger.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Maria uses a respectful, compassionate approach and tailors sessions to each person. She focuses on practical steps and clear goals rather than abstract theory.
What background does she bring to therapy?
Maria has 11 years of professional experience working with diverse concerns and life circumstances, including adoption and foster care and veteran-related issues.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds LMSW and LISW credentials and practices in Michigan, with licensure also in Ohio noted in her background.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are session formats arranged?
Specific session formats are not listed here, so confirm current options before booking to know how sessions are held.
How do fees and getting started work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.