Meet Maria
Meet Maria
I did not come to this work through theories alone. It also came through my own experience, through searching, rebuilding, and figuring out how to begin again.
As a child raised in a traditional Chinese household, being part of a minority often meant I bore the brunt of other children’s cruelty. Each move after that asked me to start over: new language, new rules, new self — and showed me how much it takes to keep going.
I became skilled at appearing fine while falling apart inside, at holding everything together on the outside long before I understood what was happening underneath. Through therapy, training, teachers, mentors, and body-based healing, I learned to see my own patterns and meet myself with more patience and compassion.
This is the ground from which I now support others.
How I Work
My role is not to fix you. You are not broken.
My role is to offer a steady, compassionate space where you can listen to yourself more clearly, and notice what your body already knows before your mind catches up.
We move at the pace you can actually hold, not the pace you think you should. Some days that looks like sitting with something quietly. Other days it looks like catching a pattern the moment it happens, before it takes over.
My Approach
My work is integrative, trauma-informed, and body-centred, drawing on several modalities.
This means we do not focus only on thoughts, goals, or symptoms. We also work with the body, the nervous system, emotions, and protective patterns you may have built to survive.
Sessions may include mindful movement, touch (consent-based, always with permission), polyvagal mapping, parts work, breath, and reflective conversation, depending on what is needed in the moment.
Training and Qualifications
Training gave me the structure. Lived experience gave me the depth. Both have shaped how I listen, how I work, and how I meet each person who comes to me.
My training includes:
Somatic Experiencing (SEP in progress)
Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST)
Core Skill (CSTCP) and Relational Skills Trauma Certification Programs (RSTCP)
Treating Trauma and Addictions with felt sense, Polyvagal model
Compassionate Inquiry (CIP in progress)
Breathwork Instructor
NLP Mastery and NLP Coaching
Hypnosis Induction Mastery
Reiki
Life Mastery Coaching
Master's degree in Nutrition Science (MSc Nutrition)
Integrative Health and Medicine (Mindfulness, Guided Imagery, herbal medicine, Essential Oil for clinical use, Acupressure & Mindful Integrative health care)
Professional Disclaimer
I’m an Integrative Somatic Therapist and certified NLP coach, not a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist. My work is grounded in trauma-informed, nervous system-based training influenced by psychotherapy models, and it’s meant to support you alongside clinical care, not replace it, when clinical care is needed.
Begin Your Journey
You don’t need to have everything figured out before reaching out. Sometimes the first step is simply allowing yourself to be supported.
If you see yourself in these words, I’d be glad to hear from you.