IFSTherapists

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LMFT

Maria Zavala, LMFT

  • Experience13 years
  • LocationTexas
  • Focus areasFamily, Trauma and abuse, and Intimacy-related issues
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Client-Centered Therapy
  • LanguagesEnglish and Spanish
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About Maria

Maria Zavala is an LMFT based in Texas with 13 years of clinical experience helping people work through complex personal and relational challenges. She combines culturally responsive care with evidence-informed methods to address trauma, family dynamics, intimacy-related concerns, parenting struggles, and depression.

Background and approach

Maria's bilingual ability in English and Spanish supports clients who prefer to engage in therapy in either language. Her practice blends warm, client-centered engagement with practical strategies drawn from cognitive behavioral and mindfulness-based approaches, allowing clients to process painful experiences while building skills for emotional regulation and healthier relationships.

Maria also brings sensitivity to issues such as blended family dynamics, chronic illness and pain, immigration-related stress, and dilemmas around forgiveness and guilt. She aims to create a collaborative space where clients can explore values, clarify life purpose, and move toward meaningful change.

Clients can expect an integrative style that honors cultural background and individual stories, while offering clear tools for coping and growth. Maria works with a range of mood and behavioral concerns and frames therapy as a partnership focused on resilience and forward movement.

Approaches for Online Healing and Connection



Internal Family Systems (IFS) offers a way to understand internal parts and how they interact, helping clients explore conflicting inner voices and move toward greater internal cooperation. This approach can be useful for processing trauma responses and patterns that show up in relationships. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes empathy, nonjudgmental listening, and supporting the client's own capacity for growth, which helps people feel heard as they clarify values and goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and building practical skills to manage mood and relationship challenges, making it useful for depression and anxiety-related concerns.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and the therapist will collaborate with each person to determine which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences. This collaborative stance means techniques may be blended and adapted over time based on what proves most helpful for the client.

Online therapy with Maria is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to enhance flexibility and access. These formats allow scheduling around busy lives, support ongoing contact between sessions when appropriate, and make it easier for bilingual clients to engage in the language they prefer.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Maria address?
She works with family conflict, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, parenting struggles, and depression, plus related areas like blended family issues, chronic pain and immigration concerns.
What therapeutic style can I expect in sessions?
Therapy is client-centered and integrative, combining approaches such as CBT and mindfulness to help clients process experiences and develop practical coping skills.
How much clinical experience does this therapist have?
Maria brings 13 years of experience working with a variety of mood, relational, and trauma-related concerns in clinical practice.
What are Maria's credentials and where is she licensed?
She is an LMFT licensed in Texas with the license number TX LMFT 202184 and practices from within Texas.
Can sessions be conducted in languages other than English?
Yes, Maria conducts therapy in both English and Spanish to accommodate bilingual clients.
What session formats are available for working together?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to provide flexible remote options.
How are fees and payment handled for ongoing sessions?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What steps are involved to begin therapy with Maria?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Family conflictsTrauma and abuseIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesDepression

Additional focus areas

Blended family issuesChronic pain, illness, and disabilityControl issuesDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)Divorce and separationDomestic violenceFamily problemsForgivenessGuilt and shameImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelityLife purposeMood disordersMulticultural concernsPanic disorder and panic attacksPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Self-harmSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySomatizationWomen's issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Existential TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family SystemsSystemic Therapy

Experience

13+ years

Licensed

Texas

Languages

English, Spanish