Maria Clara Salazar-Pretto

Maria Clara Salazar-Pretto is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people navigate big life changes, stress, anxiety, grief, and relationship strain. She speaks English and Spanish and brings 20 years of experience working across hospitals, health centers, and private agencies. Her approach aims to be practical and down-to-earth for people feeling overwhelmed by transitions.

She uses a client-centered, goal-focused style that emphasizes clear steps and real skills. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused techniques, and mindfulness tools are woven into sessions to address patterns of thinking, emotional regulation, and everyday coping. Maria Clara also draws on systems-oriented ideas when family or caregiving roles affect a person’s stress.

Her background includes a Master’s degree in social work from California State University, Fresno, and an undergraduate major in clinical psychology. That mix of academic training and long clinical experience guides how she structures sessions and sets goals with each person.

In sessions she focuses on validation, active listening, and practical strategies people can try between meetings. Examples include identifying unhelpful thoughts, building routines for stress management, and practicing skills to improve communication. The goal is steady, manageable progress rather than quick fixes.

People come to her for a wide range of issues such as parenting strain, compassion fatigue, career stress, intimacy concerns, ADHD-related challenges, and coping with life changes like loss or separation. She works collaboratively to set realistic goals and help clients find stronger ways to handle day-to-day pressures.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Maria Clara commonly uses Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Solution-Focused Therapy. Client-Centered Therapy centers conversations on the person’s goals and feelings, emphasizing empathy and active listening to help someone feel heard and understood. CBT looks at thinking and behavior patterns and teaches concrete exercises to shift unhelpful thoughts and coping strategies. Solution-Focused Therapy emphasizes small, practical steps and short-term goals that create visible change in day-to-day life.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. She will help the person and therapist choose methods that match the client’s needs, goals, and preferences, and will adjust strategies as progress is made. This collaborative process lets each person try tools and keep what helps most.

The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm the available session types before booking. In general, online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. They also let people continue care if they are relocating or managing caregiving and work responsibilities.