Maritza Villacis , LCSW

Maritza Villacis is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a decade of clinical licensure and more than twenty years of experience in counseling. She has provided care to veterans, their spouses, and agency staff, and earlier in her career she worked with domestic violence survivors, individuals in shelter placement, seniors, and children. Her background spans diverse settings and populations, contributing to a practical, grounded approach to therapy.

Maritza emphasizes connection as a core part of her work and prefers a conversational, approachable style rather than formal academic language. She integrates a range of therapeutic techniques, including client-centered methods, cognitive behavioral strategies, mindfulness practices, supportive therapy, and narrative approaches, tailoring interventions to each person she meets. As a spiritual individual, she draws on that perspective to help clients navigate obstacles and make sense of painful experiences.

She frames counseling as the beginning of a healing journey and supports clients who are committed to working through challenges. Maritza aims to respond to messages as expeditiously as possible and maintains flexibility to arrange sessions at mutually workable times. She offers phone and video sessions only and notes that clients in active crisis may need a provider with greater availability. She closes her profile with a reminder from Maya Angelou: "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Approaches that guide online therapy

Maritza uses evidence-informed methods to help clients clarify patterns and develop practical skills. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and replacing them with more adaptive ways of thinking and acting; it is often useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and trouble with coping. Mindfulness Therapy teaches present-moment awareness and gentle acceptance of difficult emotions, which can reduce reactivity and improve emotional regulation for issues like stress, grief, and trauma responses. Emotionally-Focused Therapy supports people in exploring and reshaping emotional responses in relationships, helping with intimacy-related concerns, attachment wounds, and communication struggles.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Maritza works collaboratively with clients to determine what fits their needs, goals, and preferences. She adapts techniques over time so clients can try different strategies and notice what helps most in their daily lives.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These formats make it easier to schedule sessions around work, family, and caregiving responsibilities, and they allow consistent access to licensed professionals from different locations. For many clients, remote options increase accessibility while supporting steady progress toward therapy goals.