Maria Abada - Mental Health Counselor | The Center for Internet & Technology Addiction

Accepting new clients

16 years experience | Counselor of Color

About Maria Abada

Welcome! My name is Maria and I am a licensed professional counselor in the state of New Jersey. I have over 16 years experience working in the mental health field. I have worked in a variety of settings including residential, partial care, outpatient, in-home, and addictions. Although that seems like a mouthful, it simply means that I have had experience working with a broad range and severity of clinical issues. I have the most experience working with anxiety, family/relationship conflicts, life transitions, and complex trauma/abuse. In the last 5 years I have also worked with individuals with perinatal mental health issues.

My dedication to the field of mental health stems from my personal experience with it. I grew up with close loved ones living with mental illness and I have personally overcome some mental health challenges, too. I know firsthand that getting help can be a challenge. There is still so much stigma around having mental health issues, the process for getting help can be overwhelming, and it can feel so frustrating and lonely. However, I also know from experience how much life can change for the better when you find support and take steps towards taking care of yourself!

I use a person-centered, holistic, multicultural, and integrative approach in treatment. This means I begin where you are and tailor the treatment approach to your needs while being sensitive to how your individual cultural identities and lifestyle choices impact your experience. I use evidence based techniques including cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused counseling. I also incorporate trauma-informed care into my work with clients. However, I do incorporate more “classical” approaches to counseling as well.

I would describe my style as warm and supportive, and I am ready to help you tackle your struggle head-on. Collaboration is important – together we can work on establishing concrete goals and steps for you to help overcome your current problems. If you are looking for quick fixes, I am not the best counselor to work with. I believe in taking time and working on wellness slowly, holistically, and consistently. Just as physical health takes time and consistency, so does mental health. I look forward to helping you in any way I can!

Please be advised I am currently available to provide services only to female clients. Thank you again for taking time in learning more about me.

Licenses

LPC

37PC00552300

Professional experience

Anger management
Coping with life changes
Depression
Family conflicts
Grief
Relationship issues
Self esteem
Stress, Anxiety
Trauma and abuse

Additional Focus Areas

Family problems
Post-traumatic stress
Postpartum depression
Pregnancy and childbirth
Women's issues

Clinical Approaches

Client-Centered Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Mindfulness Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Psychodynamic Therapy
Solution-Focused Therapy
Trauma-Focused Therapy

Languages

English

15 Reviews

“Shi is the best”

“Very good she helped me out a lot”

“she is the best”

“I absolutely love María. She’s incredibly intelligent- super patient, kind & has wonderful suggestions that I def apply in my everyday life as tools that work. She’s someone I would highly recommend!”

“Maria has been awesome for the past two years she’s been the therapist I’ve always needed. She challenges me when she thinks I’m ready. Is someone I can always speak too and truthful all the time.”

“Maria is excelent”

“Maria is the best”

“Maria is an amazing counselor she listens to her clients attentively and then offer solutions .”

“Maria is an incredible support system. She’s highly intelligent, relatable and always compassionate. Her advice is clear and helpful. She is celebratory and hopeful of the tiniest steps forward which is beyond motivating. I would absolutely recommend her to anyone. She is someone I look forward to speaking to and always come away feeling in lack of a more sophisticated term, better!”

“Maria is very very nice.”

“Maria is an incredible counselor! She is a breath of fresh air and extremely intelligent with wisdom filled knowledge.”

“Compassionate and always has an ear ready for me when I need her. She has enlightened me and allowed me to grow and see how therapy has been beneficial for me.”

“Maria has been a wonderful and extraordinarily supportive person, and has helped me immensely in working through my anxiety and self-doubt issues. I really appreciate her flexibility and our conversations through chat that give me a way out of my head.”

“Maria understood what I was going through from the very beginning, and is constantly offering me wise advice while also trying to steer the way i think into the right direction. I'm truly appreciative of the way she has opened my mind.”

“Maria is amazing!”

These reviews represent a few of the most recent positive reviews from the therapist's clients on BetterHelp. Some people's experience may be different.