Maria Slaughter, LISW, LCSW, CSW

Maria Slaughter is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with seven years of experience. She draws on personal and professional experience to help people facing stress, grief, anxiety, and major life changes. Maria highlights work with the LGBT community, people living with HIV/AIDS, and hospice settings.

She offers a calm, accepting approach that starts by listening to what matters most to each person. Sessions focus on clear goals and practical steps to reduce overwhelming feelings and build daily coping skills. She uses a client-centered, strengths-based framework so people feel heard and respected.

Maria combines cognitive-behavioral ideas with mindfulness and solution-focused strategies. That means she helps identify unhelpful thinking, practices simple present-moment skills, and looks for small changes that make a difference quickly. Conversations are direct and kind, aimed at making daily life easier to manage.

Her background includes roles at a community LGBT center, HIV linkage programs, and behavioral health work with people without stable housing. She currently works full time as a hospice social worker in the Atlanta area and brings that experience into sessions where grief and end-of-life concerns arise.

Education includes a Master’s degree from Case Western Reserve University, a bachelor’s from Cleveland State University, and an associate degree from Cuyahoga Community College. Maria supports people exploring sexuality, relationships, self-esteem, and compassion fatigue, and she accepts international clients who want to connect in English.

Approaches that guide online sessions

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on understanding each person's experience and building a respectful relationship. It helps when someone needs a nonjudgmental space to talk through feelings and define personal goals.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at patterns of thinking and behavior that keep problems going. It helps with anxiety, depression, and stress by teaching specific skills to change unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped in the past, then guide you toward methods that fit. That collaborative process can be adjusted as needs change.

Session logistics should fit into real life. The original biography does not list which session formats are offered, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit care around work, caregiving, or travel by reducing commute time and allowing sessions from different locations. It can also let people choose a shorter check-in or a session that does not require video when that helps them manage energy or bandwidth.