01 · Who Maria works with

Maria works with stress, Anxiety, trauma and abuse and depression

Maria lists 12 specialisms and 23 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Maria chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Maria's own words

What Maria says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

I am a qualified therapist with more than 12 years of experience. I offer support in English and Spanish. I have worked with a broad range of concerns including emotional distress, stressful situations, relationship issues, parenting problems, low self-esteem, grief/loss, trouble concentrating. I have also supported many who have experienced physical trauma (i.e. injury), physical, sexual and emotional abuse. My approach is strengths-based and client centered, which means I see you as the expert of your life, while I assist and guide you through your personal journey towards greater well-being. I believe in treating you with respect, sensitivity, inclusivity and compassion. My approach combines cognitive-behavioral techniques, motivational interviewing and solution-focused techniques to support your goals. I tailor my support to meet your unique and specific needs. It takes strength and courage to seek and take steps towards change and well-being. If you are ready to take that step, I am here to support and empower you. I look forward to being part of this journey with you!

Maria Castro, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Maria works

The 4 approaches Maria lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Maria lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Maria's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Maria runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Maria practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Maria's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Maria at this point.

2. Naming Maria specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Maria is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Maria.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Maria

Built from what Maria actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Maria's - Maria has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

• “You offer sessions in English and Spanish. Does the work change depending on which we use?”

  People often reach different material in a first language than in a second. Worth naming before you choose.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LMHC

Licensed in

Washington

Licence

WA LMHC LH60861263

Licence number

LH60861263

Licence expires

2 Sep 2027

NPI

1619499308

Years in practice

13

Gender

Female

Languages

English, Spanish

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Maria's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Maria. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.