Practitioner record · Checked 9 Oct 2026
Maria Slaughter has been in practice 7 years and is licensed in Georgia. Maria lists stress, Anxiety, LGBT and grief among 18 subjects on the BetterHelp roster.
Everything below is either quoted from Maria's own BetterHelp listing, taken from public licensing records, or written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such. Nothing here is an availability promise, a review, or a rating.
01 · Who Maria works with
Maria lists 12 specialisms and 6 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
Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.
Hello, my name is Maria and, I am a Licensed Independent Social Worker in Ohio (LISW) and a Licensed Master Social Worker in Georgia (LMSW). I am a dedicated and intuitive counseling professional with over seven years of experience in helping people overcome life challenges and stressors. My areas of expertise consist of working with the LGBT community, people living with HIV/AIDS, and hospice.
I can also assist you with navigating life transitions such as anxiety, depression, career-related challenges, building your self-esteem, navigating your sexuality, processing intimate and non-intimate relationships, college-related transitions, and processing grief & death. I have spent my entire career using my personal and career-related experiences to help individuals process life challenges. Using a client center and strengths-based approach, I promise to provide you with a warm, accepting, safe space where we can identify goals & alleviate stress.
In terms of my education, I have received my Master's Degree at Case Western University in Social Administration. I also hold a Bachelor's Degree from Cleveland State University and an Associates's in Liberal Arts Degree from Cuyahoga Community College.
My professional background consists of working at the Cleveland LGBT Community Center as an intern, at Recovery Resources as an HIV Linkage Specialist & Program Coordinator, and at Care Alliance as a Behavioral Health Counselor with the homeless population (or) people without proper housing. I currently work full time as a Hospice Social Worker providing emotional support to families in the Atlanta area.
Finally, I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my profile & I commend you for taking the first step in ensuring your mental & overall well-being. I look forward to supporting you along your journey!
Maria Slaughter, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026
03 · How Maria works
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.
04 · What happens next
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
06 · Practical details
07 · Provenance
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.
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