Maria Gardell , LCSW

Maria Gardell is a licensed clinical social worker with 18 years of experience helping people cope with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, family concerns, and trauma. She focuses on women's issues while also supporting people facing life transitions and emotional overwhelm.

Maria uses a practical, down-to-earth style in sessions. She listens carefully and helps clients name what matters most to them. Then she works with them to build simple coping skills and clearer ways to relate to others.

Her work often covers communication problems, codependency, caregiver stress, and the challenges of blended families. She also helps people facing aging and geriatric concerns, immigration stress, addiction issues, and feelings of emptiness or isolation.

People meet Maria for help after major life changes, during times of relationship hurt, or when wounds from past trauma keep coming up. She focuses on reducing shame and building self-compassion so clients can move forward with more confidence.

Maria draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques to create concrete plans clients can use between sessions. She helps people set small goals, practice new habits, and notice what changes. Her aim is to make therapy useful and approachable for everyday life.

How evidence-based approaches translate to online care

Maria uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on skills and change. One common method emphasizes learning concrete coping skills for anxiety and stress, such as breathing strategies, activity planning, and step-by-step exposure to feared situations. This approach helps people reduce immediate symptoms and gain confidence in managing daily stress.

Another approach centers on improving relationships and attachment by practicing communication, boundary-setting, and recognizing patterns that keep people stuck. These techniques help with trust, commitment concerns, and recurring conflicts. Both approaches are practical and focused on actions people can try between sessions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences. That decision can change over time as progress is made and priorities shift.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for deeper conversation and visual cues, phone can fit a quick check-in or lower bandwidth needs, and messaging works well for brief updates or when a flexible schedule is required. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives and to keep momentum between appointments.