About Maria
I’m Maria Ximena Maldonado-Morales, PhD, LCSW-S, MPH. I’m a licensed clinical social worker and researcher offering individual therapy through my private practice, MXMM Therapy.
I specialize in working with adolescents, adults, couples, and perinatal clients navigating trauma, grief, identity exploration, life transitions, and relational challenges. My approach is grounded in deep listening, curiosity, humility, and respect for each client’s lived experience.
I offer in-person and virtual therapy in English and Spanish, based in Houston, Texas.
Therapy Approach
Therapy is a space where we can pause, reflect, and make sense of what feels heavy, confusing, or stuck. As your therapist, my role is to listen closely, ask thoughtful questions, and notice patterns so we can explore what’s beneath the surface and tend to what matters most.
I take a trauma-informed and grief-informed approach, drawing from psychodynamic, psychoanalytic, and evidence-based practices. That means we’ll pay attention not only to what’s happening in the present, but also to how past experiences may be shaping your current relationships, emotions, and sense of self.
Therapy with me is collaborative and paced to your needs. I keep notes so I can remember what’s important to you, almost like a file of threads we can return to and follow together. Our work will be guided by your goals, your readiness, and your voice.
What We Can Explore Together
Trauma & PTSD
Support for those navigating the lasting impact of difficult or overwhelming experiences.
Loss & Grief
Space to process the death of a loved one or other forms of loss that feel hard to name.
Life Transitions
Support through times of change, uncertainty, or new beginnings.
Perinatal, Postpartum, & Parenting
Care for those navigating fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and parenthood.
Anxiety, Depression, & Emotional Distress
Gentle space to unpack what’s weighing on you and reconnect with steadiness and hope.
Cultural Identity & Belonging
Exploration of identity, immigration, family roots, and what it means to feel at home in yourself, especially for 1st- and 2nd-generation individuals.
