I’m Maria Mohamed.
LMFT-Associate & LPC-Associate
Supervised by Joseph Porter LMFT-Supervisor & LPC-Supervisor
When my family and I moved to the US, we desperately tried to preserve our Mexican and Palestinian traditions while navigating through belonging to a new and different culture. My relationship with my cultures of origin, coupled with my presence in American society, fostered in me an openness and curiosity towards diverse views, cultures, lifestyles, and ideas.
Today, diversity is not just a concept to me- it makes me who I am. And based on this, I strive to create an inclusive space where my clients can feel comfortable and safe regardless of gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, political ideologies, relationship structures, etc.
My number one priority as a therapist is for my clients to feel heard, understood, and connected!
I am passionate about supporting couples nurture meaningful and fulfilling relationships.
My Specialties
My areas of work with couples include pre-marital work, communication difficulties, high conflict, intimacy issues, infidelity and other relationship ruptures. While my areas of work with individuals include relationship trauma/C-PTSD, infidelity, intimacy, and inner child work.
I use Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), which is an evidence-based modality, and integrate it with somatic work to help both couples and individuals delve deeper into their internal experience and nurture empathy for themselves and/or for each other.
Professional Background
I am a LMFT-Associate and LPC-Associate, supervised by Joseph Porter, LMFT-S & LPC-S, and the founder of Apego Therapy PLLC. I specialize in attachment work which has deepened through training and supervision in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT).
My career began by researching couples communication as an undergraduate at UT Austin and continued by further specializing in EFT. I studied at Texas State University and earned my MA in Professional Counseling with a concentration in Marriage Family Therapy.
I have completed rigorous advanced trainings to deepen my work with individuals and couples and am currently working towards EFT Certification. I am also actively involved with the Austin Center for EFT and have been serving on the board of the Austin Association for Marriage and Family Therapists for the past two years as Program Director.
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M.A. in Professional Counseling, concentration in Marriage, Couples, and Family Therapy — Texas State University, May 2024
B.A. in Psychology, with special honors — The University of Texas at Austin, 2020
Honors Thesis: Marital Satisfaction and Communication Patterns of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Couples
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Core Skills in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, ICEEFT — January 2024
Externship in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, ICEEFT — April 2023
Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (Level 2), ICEEFT — September 2023
Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (Level 1) ICEEFT — May 2023
Gottman Method Couples Therapy (Level 2), The Gottman Institute — January 2023
Gottman Method Couples Therapy (Level 1), The Gottman Institute — October 2022
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Austin Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Program Director — June 2022 – Present
International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy, Student Member — June 2023 - Present
Austin Community for Emotionally Focused Therapy, Student Member — May 2023 - Present
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Student Member — January 2023 – Present
Outside of the therapy room
I find joy in practicing yoga, cooking a nice meal, enjoying a cup of coffee with a good friend, listening to an inspiring podcast, or hanging out with my beautiful and sweet cat, Noor (pictures here).
I have lived in the US for almost 10 years and most of that has been in Austin. Here, I enjoy the variety of food, the bountiful artisan coffee shops, and open and warm people as well as the beautiful greenery.
“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”
— Carl Jung