Maria Yanez

Qualifications & Experience

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s in Biblical Counseling from Dallas Theological Seminary. I also have training in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders.

My Call to Christian Counseling

Growing up, my father always emphasized the importance of health, encouraging me to always pray for “good health” because “without it, it can be hard to enjoy anything else in life.” This perspective is what initially led me to pursue a career in nursing.

As I’ve spent more years in the health field, I’ve grown to recognize that God has made us mind, body, and spirit; therefore, it’s important to adopt a holistic approach to health that incorporates all three. Recognizing this, I decided to pursue a second career in Biblical Counseling that not only incorporates the mind and body, but also the spirit.

I have always had an interest in psychology. My experience witnessing family members struggle with their mental health and seeing the lack of education on mental illness, especially in the Mexican culture, also led me to pursue a career in counseling. In addition, my experience caring for pregnant women, who often lack adequate support, particularly those who struggle with mental health issues during pregnancy and after, has led to a passion in this area.

More About Me/On a Personal Note

I love to travel and visit new places or towns with a lot of history and culture. I enjoy hiking and being outdoors. Whether it’s the beach or mountains, I’m always mesmerized by the beauty of God’s creation. I also enjoy reading, particularly books on the Christian faith or theology. I love spending time with my family, friends, and my mini Aussie, Nico.

Areas of Expertise/Specialties

• Abandonment and Neglect
• ADHD
• Anger Management
• Anxiety
• Autism
• Bipolar Disorder
• Counseling in Spanish
• Depression
• Grief and Loss
• Individual Counseling
• Online Counseling
• Personal Development
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Professional Development
• Relationship Issues
• Sexual Abuse
• Trauma
• Women’s Issues

Women’s Issues

I will use my knowledge and experience working in women’s health to help you better understand your body and your experiences, including self-esteem, body image issues, motherhood, hormonal changes, and more. My background in labor and delivery nursing has helped me gain a greater understanding when working with women who have experienced labor and delivery trauma, miscarriage or the loss of a newborn, infertility, and postpartum anxiety and depression. As your counselor, I will also gently challenge any misconceptions you may be holding that are contributing to your mental health struggles. Together we will determine the best path forward for you to experience the healing and growth you desire.

Anxiety

Many factors can lead to our bodies experiencing an “overreaction” to stressors. I will help you understand and process the factors that may have led to your body’s hyper-response and identify coping skills that will work best for you. We will incorporate therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and mindfulness to help you cope with your symptoms of anxiety.

Depression

If you are struggling with symptoms of depression, hope and help are available. In our sessions, we will incorporate therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help you cope when you are feeling depressed.

ADHD

Living in a world full of distractions, I do believe our brains now are having a hard time with “stillness.” In our sessions together, we will incorporate mindfulness exercises as a tool to “retrain” our brains to be more present. ADHD is also linked to struggles with executive functioning, making daily tasks more difficult, so I will also teach tools and techniques to help manage these struggles.

Sexual Abuse

Through my experience working at the Children’s Advocacy Center, I have been trained in Trauma-Focused CBT to help individuals who have experienced sexual abuse.

Availability (by office location):

• Rockwall – Wednesdays and Thursdays
• Online Counseling – Wednesdays and Thursdays

Fees: I offer a Risk-Free Initial Session for individuals looking to pursue counseling with me. Please note that there is a fee for the Risk-Free Initial Session as it is a clinical hour and reimbursable to most insurance companies, but if you choose not to reschedule and continue therapy after the initial session, the entire fee for the session will be waived. For ongoing treatment, the full fee per session is required at the time of service.

Insurance: As a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), most insurance companies will reimburse for a portion of my services (as an Out-of-Network Provider). Please consult with your insurance provider as to whether they specifically cover adolescents, individuals, and couples.

Receipts/Statements: In the event you require a printed or digital receipt, I will provide receipts for personal use, insurance reimbursement, Flex Spending Accounts (FSA), and Health Savings Accounts (HSA).

Payment options: Cash, Check, or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, & American Express). A fee of up to 4% per transaction may be added for credit card payments.