Maria Russo, LCSW, CSW

Maria Russo is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Colorado with 25 years of practice. She draws on a psychology undergraduate degree and a Master of Social Work to guide people through strong emotions and difficult life events. Her work centers on helping people reclaim balance after trauma, loss, addiction, or major life change.

Her approach is straightforward and practical. She helps people identify what keeps them stuck and build coping and problem-solving skills. Sessions focus on small, doable steps to reduce anxiety, manage grief, and address patterns that lead to unhealthy choices.

Maria often supports people working through relationship stress, parenting strain, career transitions, and challenges tied to family of origin or abandonment. She also works with concerns related to addiction, intimacy, self-esteem, and aging or health-related life changes. Clients come for both short-term coaching and longer therapeutic work depending on their goals.

Therapy draws from Client-Centered methods, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Narrative and Existential approaches. Conversations aim to help people notice patterns, reframe painful stories, and practice new behaviors that fit their values.

Her style is warm and nonjudgmental. She emphasizes personal strengths and spiritual growth when that fits the person’s goals. To begin, prospective clients complete a short questionnaire and schedule sessions according to availability.

How her approaches shape online therapy

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening deeply and helping people steer the conversation. It’s about being heard and using that safety to try new ways of coping with stress, grief, or relationship issues.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect. In sessions, clients learn practical tools to change unhelpful thinking and practice alternative behaviors for anxiety, depression, and addictions.

Existential Therapy helps people consider meaning, choice, and values when life feels empty or uncertain. It can be useful for career transitions, aging concerns, and big questions about purpose.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will help figure out which methods match a person’s goals, struggles, and preferences, and will adjust the plan as work proceeds.

Confirm the exact online session options before booking since formats are not specified here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into busy days, reduce travel time, and allow check-ins between in-person commitments. Some formats are also better for shorter progress updates while others support deeper work over longer meetings. Discuss scheduling preferences and session length when you connect to set up a routine that fits everyday life.