Maritza Alvarez-Pena, LMFT
Experienced bilingual LMFT focused on relationships and resilience
Details
| Name | Maritza Alvarez-Pena |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LMFT |
| Based in | California |
| Licensed in | California |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English, Spanish |
| Years in practice | 23 |
About Maritza
Maritza Alvarez-Pena is a bilingual licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) practicing in California. She speaks English and Spanish and brings 23 years of clinical experience to sessions. She helps people who are feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, stress, grief, parenting pressures, trauma, or depression.
Maritza uses practical conversation to untangle painful patterns and make small changes that matter day to day. She listens for the stories people tell about themselves and looks for places where different choices are possible.
Background and approach
Sessions are calm and straightforward, focused on what the person wants to change and how to get there. Her background includes a master’s degree in psychology counseling and more than two decades helping adults navigate life transitions and relational struggles.
She draws on methods such as Narrative Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy alongside attachment-focused and cognitive tools to tailor work to each person. Typical sessions include focused talk, perspective shifts, and simple practices to try between meetings. Maritza often helps people manage strong emotions, rebuild trust in relationships, handle parenting strains, and cope with chronic illness or caregiving stress.
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit busy schedules. If someone is ready to begin, she guides them through the next steps so therapy feels manageable from the first contact.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Grief among the things Maritza works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Depression
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Immigration issues
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Phobias
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Listed by Maritza among the ways she works.
- Attachment-Based Therapy: Listed by Maritza among the ways she works.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Maritza among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Maritza among the ways she works.
- Existential Therapy: Listed by Maritza among the ways she works.
- Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Maritza among the ways she works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Maritza among the ways she works.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: Listed by Maritza among the ways she works.
- Somatic Therapy: Listed by Maritza among the ways she works.
- Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by Maritza among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Maritza directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Maritza directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
Online approaches that meet people where they are
Maritza draws on Narrative Therapy to help people notice and reframe the stories that shape their feelings and choices; this approach can be helpful for issues like grief, identity shifts, and patterns that feel stuck. She also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to focus on values and small actions, helping people move forward even when difficult emotions remain. Attachment-Based Therapy is part of her approach when relational patterns and connection are central concerns, offering ways to understand and change how people relate to loved ones.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Maritza collaborates with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences, adjusting as needs evolve. She explains options plainly and invites feedback so the plan changes with progress.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make care flexible and accessible. Video is useful for a fuller face-to-face conversation, phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited, chat lets someone check in quickly during the day, and messaging supports short updates or ongoing reflection between meetings. These formats help people fit therapy into work, school, or caregiving routines while keeping momentum between appointments.
Common questions about this listing
What concerns does Maritza help with?
She helps people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting strain, and depression, plus related issues like attachment, caregiving stress, chronic illness, and communication problems.
What is her general therapy style?
Her style is conversational and practical, focusing on the stories people tell and on small, doable changes to reduce stress and improve relationships.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 23 years of professional experience working with adults on emotional and relational concerns.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, CA LMFT, and practices in California.
Which languages are offered for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish.
What formats are available for sessions?
Sessions can be conducted by video call, by phone, via live chat, or through text-based messaging.
How are costs and subscription handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How does someone begin working with her?
To begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Maritza are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Maritza where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
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