About Maria
Maria Patania helps people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, eating and self-esteem concerns. She is a licensed clinical social worker with 28 years of experience and practices in New Jersey. Her style is warm and straightforward, aimed at practical steps that reduce overwhelm and improve daily life.
She focuses on common emotional struggles like isolation, guilt, shame, and emptiness. She also supports people facing life changes such as divorce and caregiver stress.
How Maria works
Body image, eating and food-related issues, and seasonal affective disorder are among the topics she addresses regularly. Maria uses a client-centered approach that centers the person's own goals and perspective. Sessions prioritize listening, reflection, and helping people notice patterns that keep them stuck.
From there she helps clients try small, manageable changes that fit their lives. She has worked with people across many stages of adult life and is familiar with aging and geriatric concerns as well as traumatic brain injury-related issues. Her practice pays attention to women's issues and the emotional work that comes with major transitions.
Practical matters are part of the work. She helps people sort emotions, set boundaries, and rebuild a sense of purpose. Conversations are paced to each person's needs, aiming for clearer choices and steadier days.
Maria lists one way of working on the entry:
What Maria works with
The areas below are the ones Maria selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Grief
- Eating disorders
Also listed
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Control issues
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Traumatic brain injury
- Women's issues
Training and background
| Register | LCSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 28 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | New Jersey |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Client-centered care online and practical access
Client-centered therapy focuses on understanding each person's perspective and goals. The therapist listens closely, reflects what she hears, and helps clients name what matters most to them. This approach can help with anxiety, depression, grief, self-esteem, and navigating life changes.Sessions emphasize collaboration. The therapist will work with the client to decide what methods and pacing fit best. Together they assess goals, try approaches, and adjust plans based on what feels most helpful and manageable.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which offer flexibility for different needs. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions use less bandwidth and can fit into a break at work. Live chat and text messaging are useful for brief check-ins, ongoing reflections, or when writing feels easier than talking. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy life while keeping the focus on practical progress and steady support.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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