Maria Avila
M.A., ACSW97621
- Associate Clinical Social Worker
- Trauma-informed Therapist
- EMDR Practitioner
- Bilingual (Spanish/English)
Welcome! I'm currently accepting new clients.
¡Bienvenidos! ACEPTANDO NUEVOS CLIENTES
My name is Maria and I am a bilingual trauma-informed associate clinical social worker. I provide individual in-office and telehealth mental health services to adults impacted by past childhood trauma. Your stories, pain and feelings are valid. Not everyone is going to understand the trauma you have experienced or the symptoms that accompany it, that's okay, it doesn't make it any less real.
The methods you used to survive past trauma/abuse are evident in what gets called symptoms as an adult. These symptoms however, can become distressing when no longer utilized for survival. The survival mechanisms can vary; anxiety, depression, dissociation, somatic symptoms and hypervigilance. They can also manifest as people pleasing, unhealthy relationships, difficulty trusting others or setting boundaries, shame and avoidance of triggers known and unknown. Together in therapy, we will “do the work” and the biggest part of “doing the work” is re-learning self-trust, boundaries and self-love.
In therapy we will work to cope with the symptoms and behaviors stemming from the abuse through a trauma lens utilizing talk therapy, somatic approaches, “parts-work” and EMDR. The moment you tell yourself, I give myself permission to feel this because I have the tools to cope with it, is where our relationship with our pain and experiences shift. I am here to affirm those feelings of wanting to be heard, loved and supported and decrease the feelings of self-blame, guilt and shame.
I provide an individualized approach to each client based on your needs. As a trauma-informed therapist, it’s important to help each client develop a sense of safety prior to diving into deep rooted pain. My hope is to make you feel safe, secure and trust that I can honor your healing process and be a witness in your healing journey.
I integrate a combination of talk therapy, encouraging your voice to be heard, a somatic approach, focusing on teaching you how to connect with your body and occasionally, “parts-work”, which comes from an Internal Family Systems approach, believing there are no bad parts and we want to honor all parts. I also utilize Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR is an integrative psychotherapeutic approach used to relieve psychological and physical distress. EMDR is a form of therapy that helps individuals who suffer from different forms of trauma, ptsd, c-ptsd related symptoms.
Let’s face the fear together in a safe space. If you are ready to do deep trauma work, let’s connect! I'd be honored to walk with you on your path.
Maria has an extensive amount of clinical experience working within our community. At Irimiya, Maria has worked extensively and passionately with trauma survivors. Maria has developed a special interest in working with Adult Children of Narcissists (ACoN), toxic relationships, emotional neglect and relationship issues. Additionally, she works with individuals that have experienced sexual trauma, emotional abuse, physical abuse, emotional neglect, dissociative disorders, complex ptsd, anxiety and depression.
Maria began her clinical experience in Ventura County’s mental health and social services field after returning from her undergraduate program at UC Davis. Maria has worked in a COEDS program providing intensive behavioral intervention services to students with an IEP eligibility of Emotional Disorder. As an intern at Ventura County Medical Center, she worked with a varying population of patients and a diverse multidisciplinary team environment. Maria really cherished the time and has gratitude towards the experience in working with youth from low-income families. She has worked as a Wellness Counselor with students that struggled with mental health issues at Conejo Valley Unified School District.
“At the core of the work I have done for years is to empower children, individuals and families on their healing journey. I look forward to continue learning on how to best support survivors” -Maria
California State University, Long Beach
August 2017- May 2020
Masters in Social Work, Pupil Personnel Services Credential
University of California, Davis
September 2011-June 2015
Sociology and Education
Supervised by Teresa R. Morales, M.S LMFT#114980
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Effective November 1, 2022
Assessment - $140 for 50 minute session
Individual - $140 for 50 minute session
Couples - $150 for 55 minute session
Group - $40 for 60 minute group session
Effective November 1, 2022
Cigna (Evernorth)
