Maria Clara Salazar-Pretto, LCSW

Maria Clara Salazar-Pretto is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, relationship strains, grief, and parenting challenges. She speaks English and Spanish and brings 20 years of experience working with adults across healthcare and community settings. Her style is straightforward and practical, aimed at helping people find clearer coping steps and better daily functioning.

She trained in clinical social work after completing a master of social work at California State University, Fresno, and earlier studied clinical psychology. Her background includes hospital work, health centers, and independent agencies, so she is familiar with a range of life situations and care settings. She draws on both Colombian and U.S. cultural experiences to relate to diverse people.

In sessions she uses a client-centered, goal-focused approach. She often relies on cognitive behavioral techniques to notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. She also uses solution-focused strategies to identify small, practical steps toward improvement.

Mindfulness and skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy are used when helpful to manage strong emotions and build better self-regulation. Her work emphasizes validation, active listening, and clear, hands-on tools that clients can try between sessions.

Clients can expect concrete strategies, steady support, and collaborative planning. She frames therapy as a process of finding workable solutions and opening new pathways to a more fulfilling daily life.

Approaches that translate well to online therapy

Maria Clara commonly uses Client-Centered Therapy, which focuses on listening, validation, and helping the client set their own pace and goals. This approach helps people feel heard and guides conversations toward what they want to change or understand.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to identify unhelpful thoughts and test simpler, more effective ways of thinking and acting. CBT provides concrete exercises and homework that adapt well to remote sessions and everyday life. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills are used at times to teach emotion regulation and distress-tolerance techniques that people can practice between meetings.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. She will collaborate with each person to pick methods that fit their goals, preferences, and daily routine. That collaborative choice can change over time as needs shift.

The original biography does not list specific session formats, so please confirm current options before booking. Many people choose online therapy to fit sessions into busy schedules, reduce travel time, or use shorter check-ins when needed. Online meetings can make it easier to practice skills in the context of real life and keep momentum between appointments.