Maria Caballero

Hello, my name is Maria Caballero; I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), practicing in Virginia for twenty-two years. I have treated adolescents, families, and adults presenting various mental health symptoms such as stress, anxiety, depression, family conflicts, trauma, and parenting issues. I have treated people from various cultures, ages, social and economic statuses, diverse treatment settings, modalities, and problems. The many years of practice in treating different forms and levels of mental health pain have taught me to establish a practice that prioritizes the client and therapist relationship‚ as the first and the most transforming component for effective treatment.

My approach

I believe in treating everyone with sensitivity, respect, empathy, and compassion. I'm equipped with sound skills to build strong therapeutic relationships and to combine these skills with evidence base approaches (e.g., Cognitive Behavioral, Dialectical Behavioral, Trauma Focus- CBT) to obtain better treatment results. I also utilized an integrative approach to adapt treatment to clients‚ uniqueness and needs.

My focus

The many years of practice have equipped me to work effectively with children, adolescents, parents, and adults who are struggling with stress, depression, anxiety, and family relationship issues. I help clients to develop and build motivation, identify cognitive distortions, and develop coping skills to help clients feel better and improve their life functioning.

My communication style

My communication style is person center; I focus on intentionally listening to clients ‚ thoughts and feelings empathetically; I like clients to feel that they are valued and understood. I have a calm and sensitive approach that looks out to supporting clients in processing their emotional distress.

My journey to mental healthcare

I decided to become a professional counselor because I was born outside the United States, which made me feel strongly about helping and empathizing with others who are facing life challenges and problems. I chose this career because I want to be someone who can provide sensitive and caring support for those who are in mental health pain and need encouragement throughout their various stages of life.

My goals for you

My approach to treatment goal setting is to work together with clients by establishing a strong therapeutic alliance, which I believe is the transforming power of treatment that will guide us to identify and set appropriate and achievable treatment goals.

My first session with you

What you can expect from our first session together is getting to know each other, and listening to the emotional distress that has led you to look for professional help. We will start the process of building an alliance to work together by discussing and understanding the emotional distress that has been affecting your life. In the following sessions, you can expect to continue to build our alliance and work together to identify the best solutions to your unique situation.