Maria Clara Salazar-Pretto, LCSW

Maria Clara Salazar-Pretto is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, grief, relationship struggles, and life changes. She speaks English and Spanish and has two decades of clinical experience working with adults across different life stages. Her approach is practical and straightforward, aimed at helping clients find small workable steps forward.

She trained in the United States and has roots in Colombian culture, which she uses to connect with people from diverse backgrounds. Maria Clara earned a master of social work from California State University, Fresno, and brings work from hospitals, health centers, and private agencies into her practice.

In sessions she uses a client-centered, goal-oriented way of working. That means the person’s priorities guide the work and sessions focus on clear next steps. She draws on techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and mindfulness to teach skills for managing intense feelings and stressful situations.

Her style emphasizes listening, validation, and reflection. She offers tools to notice unhelpful thinking, regulate emotions, and try new behaviors. Many clients come for help with parenting stress, compassion fatigue, ADHD-related challenges, intimacy issues, and coping with health concerns.

Maria Clara invites people to take a first step and see therapy as a practical path toward feeling more able to manage day-to-day life. She frames therapy as a collaborative effort to discover what works for each person.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Maria Clara uses Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) techniques in straightforward ways that adapt well to remote work. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and helping the person set the agenda; it is useful when someone needs validation and a clear plan. CBT looks at thoughts and behaviors, teaching practical tools to change unhelpful thinking and cope with anxiety or depression. DBT provides concrete skills for regulating emotions and managing intense reactions, which can help with anger, relationship strain, and stress.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. She collaborates with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, needs, and comfort level. That means trying techniques, checking what helps, and shifting focus when needed so the work stays useful and manageable.

Practical benefits of online therapy often include easier scheduling and fitting sessions into a busy week. Online work can make it simpler to keep regular meetings, have brief check-ins, or continue care when travel or health issues make in-person visits harder. Specific session formats are not listed here, so confirm current options before booking to ensure they match your needs.