Maria Abada, LPC

About me

Welcome! My name is Maria and I am a licensed professional counselor in the state of New Jersey. I have over 15 years experience working in the mental health field. I have worked in a variety of settings including residential, partial care, outpatient, in-home, and addictions. Although that seems like a mouthful, it simply means that I have had experience working with a broad range and severity of clinical issues. I have the most experience working with anxiety, family/relationship conflicts, life transitions, and complex trauma/abuse. I also have experience working with depression, intellectual/developmental disabilities, mild autism, and immigration/acculturation issues. In the last 5 years I have also worked with individuals with perinatal mental health issues.

My dedication to the field of mental health stems from my personal experience with it. I grew up with close loved ones living with mental illness and I have personally overcome some mental health challenges, too. I know firsthand that getting help can be a challenge. There is still so much stigma around having mental health issues, the process for getting help can be overwhelming, and it can feel so frustrating and lonely. However, I also know from experience how much life can change for the better when you find support and take steps towards taking care of yourself!

I use a person-centered, holistic, multicultural, and integrative approach in treatment. This means I begin where you are and tailor the treatment approach to your needs while being sensitive to how your individual cultural identities and lifestyle choices impact your experience. I use evidence based techniques including cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused counseling. I also incorporate trauma-informed care into my work with clients. However, I do incorporate more "classical" approaches to counseling as well.

I would describe my style as warm and supportive, and I am ready to help you tackle your struggle head-on. Collaboration is important - together we can work on establishing concrete goals and steps for you to help overcome your current problems. If you are looking for quick fixes, I am not the best counselor to work with. I believe in taking time and working on wellness slowly, holistically, and consistently. Just as physical health takes time and consistency, so does mental health. I look forward to helping you in any way I can!

Please be advised I am currently available to provide services only to female clients. Thank you again for taking time in learning more about me.

Professional experience

Additional areas of focus: Relationship issues, Grief, Anger management, Self esteem, Depression, Caregiver issues and stress, Communication problems, Control issues, Family problems, Immigration issues, Mood disorders, Multicultural concerns, Post-traumatic stress, Prejudice and discrimination, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Women's issues

Clinical approaches: Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy

License information

NJ LPC 37PC00552300

Reviews

These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Maria Abada. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.