Maritza Villacis

Maritza Villacis is a New York-licensed clinical social worker with 15 years of professional therapy experience. She has provided care to veterans, their spouses, and staff, and before becoming licensed she worked with domestic violence survivors, people in shelter placement, seniors, and children.

Known for a down-to-earth approach, she emphasizes genuine connection and uses a variety of evidence-based methods to meet each person where they are. Her work draws on client-centered practices, cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness, supportive therapy, and narrative therapy. She offers services in both English and Spanish and integrates her spiritual perspective when it supports a client’s process.

Maritza aims to make sessions comfortable and accessible rather than formal or overly academic. She is available for phone and video sessions and responds to messages as expeditiously as possible. On rare occasions she may not be available, but she will follow up on emergencies as they arise. Because her schedule can be limited, she suggests that someone experiencing a mental health crisis consider a clinician with more immediate availability.

She views counseling as the start of a healing journey that can be difficult at times. When a person is committed to beginning that work, Maritza supports them in making sense of their experience and developing practical coping strategies. She works with concerns including stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, self-esteem, depression, addictions, LGBT-related issues, relationship and family conflicts, intimacy-related concerns, sleeping disorders, parenting issues, anger management, career difficulties, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue.

She is licensed in New York as a clinical social worker; her license number is 088011. Maritza appreciates the opportunity to support others and often recalls Maya Angelou’s words: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”