PuttingFamilyFirst

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MP Portrait of Maria Petrongolo
Online therapist

Maria Petrongolo

Practical support for family and life transitions

Credentials
LPC
Experience
13 years
Licensed in
New Jersey, Pennsylvania
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Maria

Maria Petrongolo is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) with 13 years of experience. She focuses on practical support for relationship and family concerns, self-esteem, life transitions, and coaching. Her style is straightforward and down-to-earth, aiming to help people find clearer steps forward when life feels overwhelming.

She offers help with issues that often come up around major life changes. That includes workplace and young adult challenges, shifts in family roles, and coping after medical news.

Background and approach

Maria also works with people facing body image concerns, postpartum depression, seasonal mood changes, and caregiving stress. Sessions are meant to be collaborative and action-oriented. Maria listens for patterns people want to change and then talks through small, realistic shifts to try between meetings.

She uses methods grounded in evidence to guide those choices and measures what is working as therapy progresses. Her work recognizes the emotional load that comes with chronic illness, aging, serious health diagnoses, and end-of-life issues. She helps clients sort their priorities, communicate needs, and manage stress tied to health and caregiving roles.

Maria practices in New Jersey and conducts sessions in English. Her professional licences are PA LPC PC010309 and NJ LPC 37PC01242700. For those ready to begin, she recommends a short intake to match goals with a practical plan.

Evidence-Based Approaches and Online Care

Two common evidence-based approaches she uses are cognitive-behavioral techniques and structured coaching methods. Cognitive-behavioral techniques focus on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing small behavior changes to shift mood and relationships. Structured coaching methods break goals into clear steps and track progress, which helps with life transitions and workplace or young adult challenges.

She also draws on supportive counseling to help people process health-related stress and caregiving burdens. Supportive counseling emphasizes listening, validation, and practical problem-solving to manage emotional strain and make decisions during difficult medical or aging-related situations.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. She works together with each person to choose and adapt methods based on needs, goals, and preferences. That collaborative process helps make sessions feel relevant and useful from the start.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These formats offer flexibility for families and busy schedules, letting people fit sessions around work, caregiving, and medical appointments. Remote sessions also make it easier to maintain continuity during life changes and to try short coaching check-ins between longer meetings.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does she address?
She helps with relationship and family issues, self-esteem, coping with life changes, and coaching. Additional areas include caregiving stress, body image, chronic illness, postpartum concerns, and workplace challenges.
What is her general therapy style?
Her style is collaborative and practical. She listens for patterns, suggests small steps to try, and checks in on what works as therapy continues.
How much experience does she have?
She has 13 years of clinical experience working with a range of life and health-related concerns.
Where is she licensed and based?
She practices in New Jersey and holds credentials as an LPC with licence numbers PA LPC PC010309 and NJ LPC 37PC01242700.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Sessions can be held via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and is managed through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Experience
13 years
Licensed
New Jersey, Pennsylvania
Languages
English

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