Maria Clara Salazar-Pretto

Maria Clara Salazar-Pretto is a licensed clinical social worker with 20 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, career questions, grief, and relationship or parenting concerns. She speaks English and Spanish and draws on life and professional experience to support people through big changes. Maria Clara aims to create a straightforward, respectful place to talk and plan next steps.

She trained in the United States and Colombia and completed a Master of Social Work at California State University, Fresno. Her work has included hospitals, health centers, and private agencies, and she has supported adults across the lifespan from young adulthood to later life. That background informs how she balances practical coping skills with attention to each person’s story.

Maria Clara describes her approach as client-centered and goal-oriented. She commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thinking and build coping skills. She also draws on Solution-Focused methods and humanistic ideas to develop clear, hands-on strategies that fit everyday life.

In sessions she emphasizes validation, active listening, and reflection. The focus is on practical tools for regulating emotions, improving communication, and moving toward personal goals. She helps people break down problems into manageable steps and track small wins.

Her work includes attention to trauma, compassion fatigue, ADHD, intimacy issues, and family-related stresses. People who want practical, culturally aware support in English or Spanish may find her style helpful. To begin, follow the site’s process to match and schedule a consultation.

How therapy approaches translate to online work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and helping the person clarify their own goals. In online sessions this looks like the therapist following the client's lead and reflecting what matters most to them so goals become clear. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, helps identify unhelpful thoughts and behavior patterns and replaces them with practical coping skills. Online CBT often uses brief exercises, worksheets, and homework to change how daily thinking affects mood.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work collaboratively to decide which methods fit a person's goals and life circumstances. That may mean trying a few techniques, checking what works, and adjusting the plan together as progress is made.

Confirm the current session options before booking so you know which formats are offered. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when time is limited, and reduce travel time. It also lets people continue care when they are relocating or living abroad. Licensed professionals can adapt tools like CBT exercises and client-centered conversation to remote sessions so work stays focused and practical.