About Maria
Maria Abada is a licensed professional counselor in New Jersey with 16 years in the mental health field. She helps people facing anxiety, stress, relationship and family conflicts, grief, anger, low self-esteem, depression, and the aftereffects of trauma and abuse. She also supports women dealing with pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum challenges.
Her background includes work in residential programs, partial care, outpatient clinics, in-home services, and addiction settings. That variety means she has seen problems at different levels of severity and in many life situations.
Background and approach
In the past five years she has focused more on perinatal mental health and postpartum concerns. Maria uses a person-centered approach that starts where each person is. She blends cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused ideas.
She also draws on psychodynamic perspectives and trauma-informed practices when they fit the client’s needs. Her style is warm and collaborative. Sessions focus on setting concrete goals and practical steps to handle daily challenges and longer-term change.
She prefers a steady, gradual approach to wellbeing rather than quick fixes. Maria pays attention to cultural identity and life context when planning care. She works with each person to create a tailored plan that respects their values, pace, and goals.
To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule sessions based on the therapist’s availability. Maria provides services only to female clients and conducts sessions in English from her New Jersey practice.
Approaches that translate well to online care
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and understanding each person’s experience, then building a plan that fits their needs and values. This approach helps with relationship concerns, life changes, and self-esteem by centering the person’s priorities.Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, looks at patterns of thought and behavior and teaches simple skills to change unhelpful cycles. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with stress because it gives clear tools to practice between sessions.
Mindfulness therapy teaches present-moment awareness and simple practices to reduce reactivity and manage strong emotions. It pairs well with CBT for managing anxiety and trauma-related symptoms.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. Together they will adjust methods over time so therapy stays practical and relevant.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls let people use face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can work when bandwidth is limited or a camera isn’t convenient. Live chat and text messaging are helpful for quick check-ins, brief coaching between sessions, or when writing feels easier than speaking. These options offer more flexibility to fit therapy into a busy life.
Questions people ask
What kinds of problems does she help with?
What is her general therapeutic style?
What is her background in mental health?
What credentials and location apply to this therapist?
Which languages are supported for sessions?
What formats are available for sessions?
How does payment and cost work?
How do I begin working with her?
What this counselor works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
Also listed
- Anger management
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Family problems
- Grief
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Women's issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 16 years
- Licensed
- New Jersey
- Languages
- English