Maria Slaughter, LISW, LCSW, CSW

Maria Slaughter is a licensed social worker with seven years of clinical experience supporting people through major life challenges and transitions. She holds LISW, LCSW, and CSW credentials - LISW denotes Licensed Independent Social Worker, LCSW denotes Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and CSW denotes Certified Social Worker - and brings a thoughtful, strengths-based approach to her work.

Her practice emphasizes compassionate care for the LGBT community, people living with HIV/AIDS, and individuals and families facing end-of-life situations. She also helps people navigate anxiety, depression, stress, shifts in career or school, relationship and intimacy concerns, self-esteem struggles, and grief. Maria integrates personal and professional experience to create practical strategies for coping and growth while honoring each person s own goals and values.

Maria earned a Master s Degree in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University, a Bachelor s Degree from Cleveland State University, and an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts from Cuyahoga Community College. Her professional background includes internships and roles at the Cleveland LGBT Community Center, Recovery Resources as an HIV Linkage Specialist and Program Coordinator, and Care Alliance as a Behavioral Health Counselor serving people without stable housing.

She currently works full time as a Hospice Social Worker in the Atlanta area, where she provides emotional support to families. Maria offers a warm, accepting environment and collaborates with each client to identify goals and reduce stress. She provides services in English and is available to work with international clients by remote appointment.

Approaches That Translate Well to Online Care

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on the client s priorities and creates a warm, nonjudgmental space where the individual guides the pace and direction of work. This approach is helpful for building self-esteem, exploring identity, and navigating life transitions because it centers the client s own goals and strengths.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact and offers practical tools to change unhelpful patterns. It is often used for anxiety, depression, stress management, and coping with difficult situations by teaching skills that can be practiced between sessions.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches present-moment awareness and simple techniques to manage overwhelming emotions and reduce reactivity. It can support people dealing with grief, trauma reactions, compassion fatigue, and ongoing stress by encouraging grounded attention and self-compassion.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the work. Maria collaborates with each person to identify which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and she adjusts the plan as progress unfolds. This collaborative process helps shape sessions that feel relevant and effective.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - clients can connect by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to schedule appointments around work, caregiving, or travel and allow people who live far from in-person services to access licensed professionals and therapists without long commutes.