About Maria
Maria Pulizzo is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Missouri who helps people managing stress, anxiety, depression, and problems with substance use. She supports people facing bipolar symptoms, low self-esteem, and concerns related to drug and alcohol addiction. Maria aims to make the first step less daunting by offering steady, practical support.
Her style is warm and nonjudgmental. Sessions focus on listening first, then working together on clear goals.
Background and approach
She uses straightforward tools from cognitive behavioral therapy to identify unhelpful thinking and from dialectical behavior therapy to build emotional and coping skills. Maria also draws on client-centered and solution-focused methods to keep therapy practical and goal-directed. Motivational interviewing helps when someone is unsure about change or is working through addiction concerns.
Her approach balances empathy with concrete strategies that can be used between sessions. She has five years of direct therapy experience and brings prior work in community mental health to her practice. That background includes work with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs, which shapes how she plans treatment with each person.
Sessions are offered in English and can be arranged online or by phone. Maria encourages people to bring their immediate concerns and small goals to the first meeting so they can start building a plan together.
Using practical therapy approaches online
Client-centered therapy focuses on understanding a person's experience and offering nonjudgmental support so goals can emerge from the person’s own values. This approach helps when someone needs a calm space to talk through anxiety, stress, or identity concerns.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches people to spot and challenge unhelpful thinking patterns and to practice different behaviors. It is useful for managing anxiety and depression by breaking problems into small, solvable steps.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers concrete skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and improving relationships. These skills can be helpful for mood swings, intense stress, and coping during cravings or relapse risk.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. A therapist will ask about symptoms, goals, and preferences, then try practical strategies and adjust based on what helps. Clients and the therapist collaborate on which methods to use and how to apply them to everyday life.
Online therapy formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, and each has practical advantages. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and screen-sharing for worksheets. Phone sessions can fit into a short break or use less bandwidth. Live chat and text messaging are useful for brief check-ins, skill practice, or when someone prefers written communication. These options make therapy more flexible and easier to fit into a busy schedule.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Self esteem
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 5 years
- Licensed
- Missouri
- Languages
- English
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