MAIDA FERRAES, LMFT

MAIDA FERRAES is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) based in California who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, relationship or family concerns, and sleep problems. She also supports those facing ADHD, bipolar mood concerns, parenting strain, and issues around intimacy and self-esteem.

She draws on practical methods to guide conversations and set clear goals. Sessions aim to identify unhelpful patterns and build skills that can be used between appointments. MAIDA keeps language simple and focuses on what people can try right away.

Her approach blends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, motivational interviewing, mindfulness, and client-centered techniques. That variety lets her adapt to different concerns, from coping with major life changes to managing cravings or grief. She uses techniques that teach new ways of thinking and coping rather than only talking about problems.

Clients have met her in individual and group settings, and she has worked in both residential and outpatient programs. MAIDA has seven years of experience as a practicing clinician, and she emphasizes patience, steady support, and practical problem solving in sessions.

She offers therapy in English and Spanish and can work with people dealing with complex histories, trauma, caregiver stress, isolation, or career-related anxiety. Her style is energetic yet levelheaded, aiming to help each person find realistic steps forward.

Online approaches that build skills and calm

MAIDA often uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. CBT can be useful for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and behaviors related to addiction by breaking concerns into clear, manageable steps.

She also draws from Dialectical Behavior Therapy to teach emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. DBT skills are practical tools for managing intense emotions, relationship strain, and self-directed anger.

Client-centered methods and motivational interviewing are part of how she supports readiness for change. These approaches focus on the person’s goals and encourage realistic, self-directed steps toward those goals.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. MAIDA will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences and then try methods that fit. She checks in and adjusts the plan as progress or challenges arise.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls allow a fuller face-to-face conversation, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited, live chat can suit brief check-ins, and text messaging supports ongoing, short-form contact between appointments. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into busy days and different schedules.