Maria Caruso
Calm practical support for families
- Credentials
- LPC
- Experience
- 20 years
- Licensed in
- New Jersey
- Languages
- English
- Format
- Online sessions
About Maria
Maria Caruso is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with 20 years of clinical experience. She works with individuals, couples, and families on relationship and parenting concerns as well as grief, career shifts, anxiety, depression, and stress. Her tone is straightforward and practical, aimed at parents and families seeking clear support.
She has worked in clinical and corporate settings and has experience supporting people through serious medical events and loss. That includes working with cancer patients and family members during illness and after bereavement.
Background and approach
She also helps people cope with life transitions such as job changes and major role shifts. Maria draws from several therapy methods to meet each family’s needs. She uses client-centered listening to keep sessions focused on the person in front of her.
She also applies cognitive behavioral tools to teach practical ways to manage mood and behavior. Narrative and psychodynamic ideas help when past patterns and family stories influence present problems. Sessions can include structured steps like journaling, simple contracts, and creative exercises to surface issues that are hard to say out loud.
Her work emphasizes partnership - the therapist and client set goals together and track progress. The aim is to restore function at home, improve communication, and help parents find clearer ways to respond during hard times. Maria practices in New Jersey and offers services in English.
Therapy approaches and online options for families
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening closely and following the client’s pace. It helps people feel heard and supports parents who need practical ways to improve family interactions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, teaches clear skills to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can reduce anxiety, manage anger, and improve day-to-day coping. Narrative therapy looks at the stories families tell about themselves and invites people to reframe those stories to support healthier relationships.Choosing the right approach is a shared process. The therapist works collaboratively to match methods to each family’s goals, needs, and comfort level. Sessions begin with clear goals and are adjusted over time based on what helps most in real life.
Online therapy offers practical flexibility for busy families. Video calls let conversations feel most like in-person meetings, while phone sessions can fit tight schedules. Live chat and text-based messaging provide shorter check-ins or ongoing support between sessions. These options help parents and caregivers access help from home, work, or while travelling without major disruption to family routines.
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.
Narrative Therapy
Looking at the story you have come to tell about yourself, and where it came from. The work is in separating the problem from your identity and finding accounts that fit you better.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
Also works with
- Addictions
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Cancer
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Coaching
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Life purpose
- Money and financial issues
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 20 years
- Licensed
- New Jersey
- Languages
- English
Next step
Talk to Maria
- Takes a few minutes
- Nothing to set up just to look
- Stop at any point