What is therapy like? What does a typical session with you look like?

I offer free 15-minute consultations, and invite clients to move forward with routine sessions if we seem like a good fit. If insured with Aetna, Optum, UMR, or United, then consultations and appointments can be arranged through https://therapyforpeaceofmind.clientsecure.me/request/date?currentDate=2025-09-01&currentTimeZone=America%2FLos_Angeles . Out-of-pocket sessions can be arranged through https://damian-fowler.clientsecure.me/request/service .

The most important thing for you to know about me is that I care about supporting my community(s), and I'll care about supporting you. I'll meet you where you're at, and support you in meeting your goals, as long as you're committed to meeting them. I work with groups, couples, families, and individuals ages 13-80. I'm passionate about: * being a resource to individuals, regardless of race, class, or creed. * being a resource to underserved and disenfranchised communities - including BIPOc communities. * Supporting interracial couples, and multi-ethnic families. I have an integrative approach, and love to incorporate the following therapy models/modalities in practice:  * Internal Family Systems  * Emotion Focused Therapy * Narrative Therapy * Motivational Interviewing (Theory of Change) I believe change happens when people are witnessed 3 times: in conflict, in recovery, and in proximity to an ideal version of themself. I believe we move forward after all of the "best and worst parts" of us are seen, and reminded they are capable of being validated, safe, healed, and loved. I support those are ready to navigate change with: * family conflict * phase of life changes  * grief * depression * anxiety * conflict with boundaries * couples and intimacy related issues. * Cross-cultural relationship issues If any of this resonates with you, reach out for a consultation: (213) 973-8278. I’m looking forward to connecting with you!

My communication style is conversational, compassionate, and humorous when appropriate. I integrate cultural humility, social justice, anti-oppressive, anti-carceral approaches, evidence based techniques, and advocacy in my practice.

I’m here to hold hope, be witness to your story, partner with you to rewrite unhelpful notions, and empower you. I offer relational therapy for families to improve relationships and decrease unhelpful conflict; and individual therapy sessions to support people with personal struggles, growth, emotional wellbeing. I identify as an affirmative, client-centered, trauma-informed, and inclusive therapist who tailors therapy to meet the client needs. I welcome those from diverse backgrounds and folks from marginalized/disenfranchised communities who are wanting to work on the focuses above or below.

I meet you where you are, with curiosity and care. I create a space where you can slow down, feel heard, and make sense of what’s weighing on you.

I’m a therapist who cares deeply about meeting you where you are. My practice is a space where you can finally slow down, feel seen, and be heard without judgment. Together, we explore what’s weighing on you and find gentle, practical ways to help you feel calmer, stronger, and more like yourself. I am in-network with Aetna, CDPHP, Cigna and Evernorth, Fidelis, and MVP Health Care.

Think of therapy as a guided climb: I walk alongside you on the ridge, helping you navigate challenges and uncover your strengths. As your therapist, I will advocate for you as we work together to become the healthiest version of yourself.

Hi - I'm Maria Dimova (She/Her), a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) practicing in Charlotte, North Carolina. I take a no-nonsense approach, with a touch of humor, to life’s challenges and mental health. You may look like you have it all together on the outside, but inside you feel overwhelmed, anxious, and exhausted from trying to do it all. Maybe you’re feeling disconnected from your partner, preparing for marriage, or navigating postpartum changes, the demands of motherhood, or a major life transition. Perfectionism may keep you striving without ever feeling “enough,” and the stress can strain your closest relationships. Life can feel like hiking a steep ridge — exhausting, uncertain, and lonely. What you want most is to feel calmer, more balanced, and more connected — both to yourself and with the people who matter most.

Therapy sessions take place online via a secure link that is easy to use. You don't have to be tech savvy to do online therapy! One click allows you to join our sessions. Most clients meet with me weekly for 45-50 minutes. We meet wherever you feel comfortable. That usually looks like a session from your couch or bedroom, but occasionally I meet with clients from the privacy of their cars. You choose the setting. The main criteria is that it be a place where you feel comfortable and have privacy with minimal interruptions.

I have over 25 years of experience helping teens and adults through anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and loss. Most clients already have everything that they need to overcome the obstacles that they encounter; they just need a little help developing and implementing a plan. I use an eclectic and trauma informed approach to meet clients where they are and guide them on their journey to becoming happier, healthier, and more satisfied with their lives.

Sessions with me are collaborative, compassionate, and tailored to your needs. We’ll start by exploring what’s going on in your life, set clear goals together, and use practical tools—like CBT, DBT, mindfulness, or coping skills—to help you make real, meaningful progress.

My path to becoming a therapist is deeply personal. Over the years, I have experienced grief, loss, divorce, trauma, abuse, and major life transitions in my own journey. These experiences not only shaped my understanding of suffering but also deepened my heart for walking with others who find themselves in painful or uncertain seasons. I know firsthand how overwhelming life can feel, and I also see the hope and restoration that can come through faith, healing, and connection. In addition to my personal journey, I have spent many years as a social worker in the hospice field, supporting individuals and families through end-of-life care, loss, and the grieving process. These experiences deepened my calling to create a safe and compassionate space for people in their most vulnerable moments. They also strengthened my belief that healing is possible even in seasons of sorrow, especially when we lean on faith and community. Today, as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I specialize in supporting individuals through grief, loss, trauma, relationship struggles, and life transitions. My approach is warm, collaborative, and faith-centered—grounded in the belief that every person is created in God’s image and deeply loved by Him. At Connect & Restore Therapy, I blend evidence-based practices with Christian values, offering a safe space where you can process your story, rediscover your strength, and move forward with clarity and peace. It is my privilege to walk alongside you, not only as a therapist but also as someone who has walked through valleys and experienced God’s grace and renewal firsthand. Together, we can lean into hope and pursue the healing and restoration God desires for your life. As Scripture reminds us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

Sessions are geared towards accomplishing therapeutic goals that are established during the first session. I offer mindfulness based practices to help the client stay grounded, centered and present. I encourage client participation between sessions by having the client make committed actions to themselves.

I am a passionate therapist that loves working with people to live the life they deserve.

Sessions are conversational, collaborative, and focused. I’ll ask questions, help you notice patterns, and offer feedback rather than simply sitting back and listening. We’ll look at what’s happening now, what may be contributing to it, and what can actually change. New clients can expect a supportive space, but also an active one—we’re not just talking about the problem; we’re working toward something different.

I’m a licensed therapist with more than 20 years of experience helping adults navigate anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, grief, trauma, and major life transitions. My style is direct, practical, and collaborative. I won’t just sit back and listen while you circle the same issue week after week. We’ll work together to understand the patterns that are getting in the way, challenge what is no longer serving you, and build practical ways to respond differently. My goal is to help you feel more confident in yourself, more secure in your relationships, and more in control of your life.

The first session is mostly me listening and asking questions. I want to understand what brought you in now, what you have already tried, and what you want to be different. By the end of that hour we will have a working sense of the pattern we are targeting and where to start. You do not need to arrive with your history organized or your goals clarified. That is part of the work. After that, sessions have a structure. We check in on the week, look at what happened between sessions, and spend most of the time on the pattern itself rather than recapping events. If you are avoiding something, we look at the avoidance. If your internal critic is running the show, we examine what it is protecting. I will name what I am seeing directly, including when it is uncomfortable, because you are not paying me to agree with you. Most sessions end with something concrete to practice. Skills only work if you use them when you are actually stressed, not when you are sitting in a session talking about being stressed. I draw on ACT, CBT, and DBT, and I will tell you which framework we are using and why rather than running something on you without explanation. All sessions are virtual, fifty minutes, and typically weekly to start. Some clients move to every other week as things stabilize. You will not be a passive participant here. If you want someone to think alongside and push back when it is useful, that is what this is.

I work with high-functioning professionals across New York who look steady from the outside and are running on empty underneath. Attorneys, founders, finance and tech professionals, healthcare workers, and the people everyone else leans on. If you are managing anxiety by overworking, or you have hit burnout and cannot slow down without feeling like you are failing, that is the work. I specialize in anxiety therapy, burnout recovery, self-esteem, and men's mental health. All sessions are virtual, so you can meet from your office, your apartment, or between calls. Sessions are direct and structured. You will not spend fifty minutes narrating your week to silence. We identify the pattern driving the problem, whether that is avoidance, perfectionism, or the internal critic that never lets up, and then we build skills you can actually use on a Tuesday afternoon. I draw on ACT, CBT, and DBT, along with Stoic-informed frameworks that tend to land well with people who think analytically. Expect me to challenge you and to be straightforward about what I am seeing. Expect homework. Expect to leave most sessions with something concrete to try.

Therapy with me will include learning Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills, building self and emotional insight and awareness, developing new ways of communicating with those you most care about, and learning how to ask for what you need for yourself and others. In individual, family sessions, and group therapy my approach is person centered and collaborative. In addition to DBT I also utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

I help teens and adults who struggle with depression, anxiety, self injury, intense emotions, ADHD, substance misuse, as well as identity, sexuality, and gender questioning. I’m passionate about helping people begin to understand themselves, face what’s been holding them down, and develop new skills and resources while creating new paths forward. Witnessing people in therapy recognize their strengths, develop self acceptance, understand what is most important to them, and show self compassion to themselves is the best part about being a therapist and one I am grateful for.