Maritza Villacis, LCSW

Maritza Villacis is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 15 years of professional experience. She speaks English and Spanish and aims to create a down-to-earth, approachable space where people can talk honestly about stress, anxiety, grief, depression, relationship and intimacy concerns, and struggles with addiction. Maritza focuses on practical steps clients can use day to day. She invites people who are ready to commit to the work and wants to be a steady partner through their healing process.

Her sessions blend Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with mindfulness and emotionally focused work. She also draws on the Gottman Method and motivational interviewing to address communication, commitment issues, and substance use. Maritza favors plain language and real-life examples over jargon so people can try strategies right away.

Before licensure she worked with domestic violence survivors, people in shelter placement, seniors, veterans, and other community members. That background informs her ability to help with trauma, caregiver stress, aging and geriatric concerns, and family-related problems. She emphasizes connection and practical coping skills during difficult changes.

Maritza offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit varied schedules. Her practice in New York uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time, and cost varies by location and therapist availability. She responds promptly to messages and aims to find workable appointment times for each person.

Starting therapy involves completing a short matching questionnaire and scheduling a session once a match is made. Maritza encourages people to be honest about goals so they can work together on clear steps toward feeling better.

How her approaches translate to online work

Maritza often uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people change unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors. CBT is useful for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and coping with life changes because it focuses on small, practical steps you can practice between sessions.

She also integrates Emotionally-Focused Therapy to address attachment and relationship struggles, helping people name feelings and change interaction patterns. The Gottman Method is used when communication and commitment issues are central, offering tools to improve how partners talk and manage conflict.

Choosing the right approach is a team effort. Maritza will discuss goals and preferences, then suggest methods to try together. She checks in on progress and adjusts the plan based on what helps most for each person.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, offering flexibility for different days and routines. Video is good for deeper conversations and skill practice, phone works when bandwidth or screen time is limited, live chat fits short check-ins, and text messaging can help with brief support between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to try approaches in real time.