Maria Slaughter , LISW, LCSW, CSW

Maria Slaughter is a licensed social worker with seven years of clinical experience who focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, grief, relationship concerns, and major life changes. She brings particular expertise in working with the LGBT community, people living with HIV/AIDS, hospice families, and those navigating adoption or foster care and end-of-life issues. Her practice also addresses depression, self-esteem, intimacy-related concerns, trauma and abuse, anger, compassion fatigue, and questions about sexuality and life purpose.

Maria draws on a client-centered, strengths-based approach that centers each person’s goals and lived experience. She blends practical tools and reflective work to help clients set attainable goals, reduce stress, and build resilience. Her training includes Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy, which she adapts to the needs of each individual.

Her academic background includes a Master’s degree in Social Administration from Case Western University, a Bachelor’s degree from Cleveland State University, and an Associate in Liberal Arts from Cuyahoga Community College. Professionally, she has served at the Cleveland LGBT Community Center, worked as an HIV Linkage Specialist and Program Coordinator at Recovery Resources, and provided behavioral health counseling at Care Alliance for people without stable housing. She currently works full time as a Hospice Social Worker in the Atlanta area providing emotional support to families.

Maria holds social work credentials including LISW, LCSW, and CSW - LISW and LCSW indicate state social work licenses and the CSW designation reflects clinical social work qualification. She offers an accepting, warm environment where clients and she collaborate to identify goals and reduce life’s burdens.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Maria integrates client-centered therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy to meet people where they are and provide practical tools for change. Client-centered therapy focuses on empathy, active listening, and working at the client’s pace to explore values, identity, and goals - it is useful for relationship concerns, identity exploration, and building self-esteem. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) combines awareness of thought patterns with concrete strategies to manage anxiety, depression, and stress-related symptoms, helping clients reframe unhelpful thoughts and develop coping skills. She also employs mindfulness techniques to help clients stay present and reduce reactivity, which can be helpful for anxiety, grief, and trauma-related symptoms.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Maria works with each client to identify goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful, adjusting methods over time so therapy remains responsive and practical. Licensed professionals and therapists often combine approaches to match the needs of the person in front of them.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, offering flexibility for different schedules and comfort levels. These modalities make it easier to maintain continuity of care during life transitions, support accessibility for international clients, and allow therapy to fit into busy routines.