Maritza Plascencia, M.A., LMFT

Maritza received a B.A. in Criminology and a B.A. in English from University of California Irvine where she interned for the OC Public Defender's Office interviewing minors in custody at Juvenile Hall.  Upon graduating she was hired as a Victim Advocate assisting victims in domestic violence cases going through the criminal justice system.  She decided to pursue her Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at the California School of Professional Psychology after witnessing the effects of unhealthy relationships and the dysfunction these create for everyone involved; from the children who felt lonely and misunderstood in their own homes, to the adults dealing with the mental and emotional impact resulting from their unhealthy relationships.

Throughout her career, Maritza has worked with individuals, couples and families addressing anxiety, depression, grief, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), childhood trauma, domestic violence, sexual assault and relationship issues, to mention a few. 

Her style is to use an integrative, client-centered and emotionally focused approach that includes mind-body techniques and provides clients with practical tools.  She is also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy which she finds helpful in working with individuals trying to address past traumas and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) which she uses in her work with most couples.

Maritza has been happily married to her college sweetheart for the past 14 years.  She is the oldest of five and is very close to her family.  From her mother, a dedicated homemaker, she learned how to care for others and from her father, a passionate watchmaker, she learned that one must let passion lead to one's profession so that "you will feel like you have not worked a day in your life."

"The relationship we create with ourselves is the foundation for all other relationships.  Therefore, we must be mindful to cultivate the most intimate, healthy and loving relationship with all aspects of ourselves first.  We must find balance between our mind, body, and spirit in order to find balance in the world."

-Maritza Plascencia

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