Maria Montenegro

Registered Clinical Social Worker Intern

My therapeutic approach is person-centered and strength-based that is equal parts judgement free, nurturing, forthright, quirky, and interpersonal.

Hello! My name is Maria and I’m a registered clinical social work intern.  I attended the University of Florida, and earned my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, due to my passion for exploring and learning about social issues and collective human/social behavior and how it informs individual life experiences. Falling more in love with the complexity that makes each of us unique humans, quirks and all, and my passion for learning how to support others in their journey toward self-development and exploration, I earned my Master’s in Clinical Social Work. Additionally, my delight for movement and play has earned me a 200-Hr. Certified Yoga Teacher certification and I am currently working toward my 500-Hr. certification and a fitness personal trainer certification.

Throughout my internship and professional experience, I have worked in residential, outpatient, forensics, schools, and hospice settings with a diverse range of people. In these various settings I have had the honor of supporting people living with co-occurring disorders, substance use challenges, grief/loss, trauma/complex trauma, neglect, PTSD, emotional dysregulation, anger/rage, anxiety, self-esteem, and boundary needs. 

My therapeutic approach is person-centered and strength-based that is equal parts judgement free, nurturing, forthright, quirky, and interpersonal. I utilize a creative holistic model that honors the mind-body-heart/soul connection because I believe all the overwhelming, painful, depressing, stuck, scary, anxiety-ridden, raging experiences that we go through in life can impact every part of the self.

I’m a good fit for you if you are open to therapy where we talk, analyze, move/play, meditate, explore, and feel through whatever it is you need support in. We can do one of these modalities, some of these, or all of these. I don’t believe in one-size fits all because YOU are one of a kind and YOU deserve a one-of-a-kind approach. So, let’s get creative, uncomfortable, honest, weird, deep, and human!

Specializations:

• Self-Esteem
• Personal and Relational Boundaries
• Co-Occurring Disorders
• Trauma/PTSD
• Grief
• Children and Adolescents

Frameworks:

• Somatic Therapy
• Trauma-Focused CBT/DBT
• Yoga/ Pranayama Breathwork
• Play/Expressive Therapy
• Jungian Therapy
• Transpersonal Therapy