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MA Portrait of Maria Alderman
Online therapist

Maria Alderman

Practical support for stress and life changes

Credentials
LMSW
Experience
6 years
Licensed in
Michigan
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Maria

Maria Alderman is a licensed social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, grief, trauma, and problems with addiction. She also supports concerns around relationships, intimacy, parenting, sleep and eating, attention challenges, mood disorders, and work stress. Maria works from Michigan and speaks English.

Her style is respectful and straightforward. She listens first to understand each person’s situation. Then she tailors talks and tools to what feels useful for that person.

Background and approach

She aims to make small steps feel doable rather than overwhelming. Maria uses several practical therapy methods. She draws on cognitive behavioral therapy to spot unhelpful thinking patterns.

She uses acceptance and commitment therapy to help clarify values and cope with painful feelings. Motivational interviewing helps when someone is wrestling with change. She also offers client-centered and psychodynamic elements, meaning sessions can focus on what matters most now while noticing past patterns that still show up.

Conversations are collaborative and paced to the individual. With six years as a licensed master social worker, Maria frames therapy as a partnership. She focuses on concrete strategies and clear next steps.

The work aims to help people feel more capable managing everyday stress and life transitions.

Therapeutic approaches and online care that fit your life

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice and make space for difficult feelings while clarifying what matters most to them. It is often used for anxiety, grief, and persistent stress when avoidance gets in the way. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors with clear, practical techniques that can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Client-Centered Therapy centers the person in the room, using empathic listening and collaboration to build trust and guide change at a comfortable pace.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Maria will listen to a person’s goals and try different methods to see what fits. The therapist and client decide together what to emphasize and how quickly to move forward, adjusting as progress or new needs emerge.

Online therapy offers several practical benefits. Video calls let sessions feel face to face while saving travel time. Phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging give options for shorter check-ins, reminders, or ongoing support between meetings. These formats aim to make consistent care easier to fit into a busy life and to keep momentum between sessions.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Less about arguing with difficult thoughts, more about loosening their grip and acting on what matters to you anyway. Values and committed action carry the work, which suits conversation at a distance.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Maria focus on?
She supports a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting, sleep and eating concerns, mood disorders, ADHD, and career or self-esteem challenges.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her approach is respectful and practical. She listens carefully, then works together with clients to set realistic steps and tools that fit their daily lives.
What training and experience does she have?
Maria is a licensed master social worker with six years of professional experience working in clinical settings in Michigan.
Where is she licensed and how is that shown?
She holds a Michigan Licensed Master Social Worker credential listed as MI LMSW 6801105593 and practices from Michigan.
In which languages are sessions offered?
Sessions are offered in English only.
What session formats are available?
Care is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How are fees and payments handled?
Cost varies by location and therapist circumstances; services use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Specialties and expertise

Also works with

Experience
6 years
Licensed
Michigan
Languages
English

Next step

Talk to Maria

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