Neurodivergent Couples Therapist
My clients usually come into therapy with a relationship that is so good in some ways, but completely stuck in others. It can be deeply frustrating, especially when you have tried so hard to figure it out and you keep ending up in the same pattern.
This often creates confusion, feeling misunderstood, and eventually gets to a place where you are questioning if you can keep doing this because it’s so exhausting.
Also, there is almost always a glimmer of hope somewhere- even if it’s been 20 or 30 years. You can still remember when this relationship was everything to you. You were building a life together, and somewhere along the way, it changed. The joy and connection that brought you together is hard to access when even something seemingly small can send you into the same pattern you can't seem to break. You know, because you've tried really really hard for a really long time or maybe you just noticed it and want to get ahead of it - and now it's time for someone to help you find your way back to each other.
While the overall process of therapy works deeply, the beginning momentum often provides an ideal runway. There are almost always strategies we can identify to bring some relief while you're working through the rest. I'm inclusive, affirming, and I strive to make therapy as painless and effective as possible.
The people I work with are high-achieving, often have experienced burnout, and already have complex systems in their lives - so adding additional barriers isn't an approach I use. I work with the current that is already there so that it’s not jarring to the system, and then add new pathways to move toward how you want your relationship to be. I'm a relational systems therapist, and I join into your system with you, so you're never doing this alone. You're carefully supported through this work.
Through my personal and professional life, I bring years of experience deeply understanding the pain and joy of being human, and helping people navigate their most challenging seasons and highest-stakes situations.
I've developed a framework that helps people identify what they need and want, what parts they want to keep, and what to prune, so they can engage with each other knowing what is them and what is not. I'm directive about pausing as needed to de-escalate, working from a non-harming lens, and teaching strategies in session to change the way you handle conflict and repair. You have autonomy to take what parts of this work fit you, and to try new things, until you've curated the way you want to interact - optimal, connecting, and sustaining.
I’m Maria (she/her)
Fees: The standard fee for a 45/50 minute individual or couples session is $225. Longer sessions and intensives are also available and may require a deposit. Concierge services are available and require a retainer. Payments accepted are Debit Cards, Credit Cards, and HSA cards, and Zelle. I am not in network with any insurance company and do not interact with insurance companies.
Good Faith Estimate Notice
Under the No Surprises Act, you have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate explaining how much your care will cost.
Because Maria Miller Therapy is a private-pay practice, you are entitled to a Good Faith Estimate of expected charges.
This estimate is not a contract. It does not obligate you to receive services from Maria Miller Therapy, and actual charges will increase if your billable services increase and decrease if your billable services decrease.
If your actual charges are more than $400 higher than your Good Faith Estimate, you have the right to dispute the bill. For more information, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-800-985-3059
Specialized Areas
Communication and Conflict Resolution: These areas are complex anyway, but when you add two thoughtful brains and then multiply those, things get really tangled. The base layers of attachment prime the patterns. It’s unconscious, (until that work is brought into the covert and explored), and it’show we get into relationships that mirror our family of origin. This is a special interest of mine and I’m fascinated by both the setup and the untangling. It’s like a puzzle and the framework that I work through integrates all of these elements and dynamics into the process. We often have assumptions that haven’t been explored because when the pattern takes over, it’s likely impossible to be able to evaluate something like this when you’re just trying to stay regulated and not go back into the pattern. I love being able to help people decode the confusion in a relationship and find understanding. My undergraduate degree is in Communications with a concentration in Theatre and a Minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. If you or your partner is saying things like - emotional labor, mental labor, burnout, resentment about responsibilities and tasks, this work can bring a process about understanding what is needed and what options there are to support what both partners need.
Neurodivergent/Neurodiverse individuals and relationships - I have professional and personal experience with neurodivergence.
Being neurodivergent is a foundational reason that I am able to see patterns, map systems, and foresee outcomes of strategies before anything changes. I have a deep understanding of the layers that this type of therapy requires, like Sensory, intimacy and sex, PDA, (demand avoidance/need for autonomy), rejection sensitivity etc.
Couples may be in a situation where one person is or suspects a neurodivergence or when both partners are neurodivergent, (including but not limited to Autism and ADHD). I use multiple therapeutic modalities to fit the specific needs of each client and couplehood.
Parenting - I have extensive experience working with children and families and utilize multiple models of child psychology and family systems to help parents better understand and find a process that is aligned with what you want from the lens of values, hopes, challenges - all of it.
PDA parenting is an area that takes so much energy and effort and there are strategies that can be helpful to reduce the power struggle for a more joyful and peaceful life.
Life and Career Optimization - I love the idea of curating the life you want. What are your dreams? Is life the way you imagined it? Let’s talk about what is standing between you and the life that you will want to live every day. So often people stay stuck in places and relationships that are painful for them because they don’t know what else to do or have hope for a more pleasurable life. I want to help you make the changes that will bring relief and fulfill your desires. I utilize personality, career, and other assessments to help you discover what brings you joy and how to sustain that.