About Maria
Maria Smartt is a licensed clinical social worker with 11 years of experience supporting people through difficult times. She holds a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) in Michigan and Ohio. Maria presents a calm, direct approach that aims to make starting therapy feel manageable and clear.
She usually begins by listening to what matters most to each person. Sessions focus on practical steps people can try between meetings.
Background and approach
Maria adapts her style to the situation and the client’s pace, so conversations stay focused and useful. Maria has worked with people dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, low self-esteem, anger, relationship concerns, and addictions. She also has experience related to parenting issues, adoption and foster care, and Veteran and Armed Forces issues.
Her background includes helping people build motivation and confidence when they feel stuck. In sessions she draws on client-centered methods, cognitive behavioral ideas, and motivational interviewing to shape collaborative plans. That means conversations center on the person’s goals, looking at thoughts and behaviors that get in the way, and using small changes to build momentum.
Maria aims to treat everyone with respect and compassion while tailoring plans to each person’s needs. She encourages clear goals, steady progress, and practical tools people can use in everyday life.
Approaches for online care and practical change
Maria blends client-centered therapy with cognitive behavioral ideas and motivational interviewing to help people make real change. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening closely and shaping conversations around what matters most to the person, which is useful for building trust and clarity. Cognitive behavioral therapy looks at how thoughts and behaviors interact and teaches concrete skills to reduce anxiety and shift unhelpful patterns. Motivational interviewing aims to boost a person’s own reasons for change and works well when someone feels stuck or unsure about next steps.Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with the client about needs, goals, and preferences, and will adjust methods as progress is made. That collaborative process helps find techniques that fit the person’s life and priorities.
Online formats make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation, phone sessions can be shorter check-ins or work when bandwidth is limited, live chat is useful for brief exchanges, and text messaging supports ongoing reflection between meetings. These options offer flexibility for different routines while keeping the focus on practical tools and steady progress.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Parenting issues
Also listed
- Addictions
- Adoption and foster care
- Anger management
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 11 years
- Licensed
- Ohio, Michigan
- Languages
- English
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