Maria Caruso , LPC

Maria Caruso is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with more than 20 years of clinical experience working with adults, children, couples, and families in both individual and group settings. She also holds national certification as an NCC - National Certified Counselor and has training in thanatology as a CT - Certified Thanatology specialist focusing on death studies, grief, and bereavement. Based in New Jersey, she has supported people facing a wide range of life challenges, including serious illness, end-of-life concerns, addiction, trauma, relationship strain, parenting challenges, career transitions, and the stresses of caregiving.

Her counseling style is integrative and multimodal, blending client-centered principles with cognitive-behavioral strategies, psychodynamic insight, Gestalt influences, and relationship-focused techniques to match the unique needs and personality of each person she sees. She often uses practical tools such as collaborative contracting, journaling, and various forms of art-based expression to bring attention to issues that may be difficult to name or fully understand. That flexibility allows her to work with both short-term goals and deeper, longer-term change.

Maria has experience supporting cancer patients and their families through treatment and loss, and she has worked in corporate settings to help people navigate transitions and workplace stress. Her work is guided by a mission to offer hope, support, and knowledge so individuals and families can find meaning and direction at whatever stage of life they are facing.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Maria Caruso draws on client-centered therapy to create a respectful, empathetic space where a person’s priorities and experiences guide the work; this approach is helpful for building trust, exploring values, and addressing relationship or self-esteem concerns. She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to identify and shift unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns - a practical approach often used for anxiety, depression, stress, and coping with life changes. Narrative therapy is another tool she employs to help people reframe the stories they tell about themselves and their relationships, which can be useful for grief, identity shifts, and recovery from trauma.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process and happens collaboratively. Maria works with each individual or family to determine which methods fit their goals, preferences, and pace, adjusting strategies as needed over time.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can take place by video call or phone, and some work can be continued through live chat or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit counseling into busy schedules, to access support from different locations, and to maintain continuity of care when in-person sessions are not possible.