Being a caregiver is grueling. We give you a place to land.
Whether you need to navigate this new chapter of life, untangle family dynamics, or process the unthinkable, we help you re-find your center so you can gain peace.
Currently completing clinical training | Accepting new clients September 2026
For people who are holding it all together
If you're managing a sick partner or aging parents while leading teams, coordinating care in between Zoom meetings, or wondering when you became everyone's emergency contact, you're in the right place.
I'm building a practice specifically for ambitious people navigating the impossible overlap of career demands and caregiving responsibilities.
Opening Fall 2026
Caregiving stress + burnout
You’re responsible for someone else’s wellbeing — namely your parent or partner — and there’s no real off-switch. You love them. You’re exhausted. It’s a lot.
Ambition, leadership + meaning
You’ve built things, held roles, or been “the capable one.” On paper it looks good. Internally, something feels flat, resentful, or misaligned, and you’re not sure what comes next.
Grief, illness + medical trauma
Something happened that changed your body: illness, loss, or prolonged medical stress. Life moved on, but you are still shook, and feel stuck.
You don't have to figure this out alone
Hi, I'm Maria Newman O'Neal. I'm a Marriage and Family Therapist trainee completing my clinical training at Cancer Support Community Los Angeles, where I do individual and group therapy for people navigating illness, caregiving, and loss.
Before transitioning to clinical work, I spent a decade in high-pressure roles, so I understand how hard it is to manage a huge workload while your person is going through an episode.
My approach combines present-moment, somatically informed relational therapy with real talk about what makes this moment so hard. I’m not into toxic positivity or "just practice self-care" advice.
Please reach out for a complimentary 15-minute intro call.
There are a few ways we can work together
1:1 Therapy
50-minute sessions focused on your specific situation, whether that's processing anticipatory grief, navigating boundaries with family, managing burnout, or figuring out how to stay ambitious while exhausted.
Couples / Caregiver Duo Therapy
75-minute sessions for people navigating caregiving together. This could be you and your partner, you and your parent, or you and your sibling - duos. We’ll navigate how your relationship is evolving in this chapter and how to make it better.
Support Groups
Weekly 90-minute support groups for caregivers of specific conditions to diffuse the load, together. These are small groups - no more than 12 people. Apply to join a support group.
The Practical Stuff
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I offer 1:1, couples, and group therapy for caregivers and ambitious people who are going through a hard chapter.
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My practice will be cash pay, with a sliding scale for services.
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Individual therapy: $95 per 50-minute session
Dyadic therapy (couples/caregiver partnerships): $145 per 75-minute session
Support groups: $25 per 90-minute session (or $20/session $200 for 3-month commitment)
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Telehealth throughout California, with in-person services in Los Angeles, CA. I also do walking therapy for people in central Los Angeles, CA.
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Monday - Thursday: 10:00am - 6:00pm
Friday: 10:00am - 2:00pm
You might be ready for support if:
✓ You're the "responsible one" everyone calls, and you're running on empty
✓ You’re feeling guilty for feelings of anger & resentment that have started to surface
✓ You're getting triangulated in family drama
✓ Keeping everything afloat is really lonely
✓ Transitioning into this chapter of life is just hard
My process & therapeutic style
Present-Moment, Somatic Awareness
You have a lot of insight about yourself and know your patterns, but still feel stuck. We slow things down enough to notice what your body has been managing for you, often for years. This is where real change starts.
Relational & Systems Informed
You didn’t get this way in isolation. We look at how relationships and families come together, and the relationship you and I form is intended to be healing in and of itself.
Existential & Spiritual
We make room for big questions: meaning, responsibility, choice, grief, and what kind of life you want to live from here on out.
“Maria is a special person who helped me return to a mindset of love and acceptance when I lost my center.”
– Former Client
Frequently Asked Questions
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If you or a family member have been affected by cancer, you can request free therapy services through Cancer Support Community Los Angeles, where I currently provide clinical services as part of my training. Visit cscla.org to request services. Otherwise, I'm accepting new clients in my private practice starting September 2026.
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September 2026, when I receive my Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) registration number.
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No, unfortunately.
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50 minutes for individual therapy, 75 minutes for couples/duo sessions, and 90 minutes for support groups.
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Primarily telehealth throughout California, with some in-person availability in Los Angeles.
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Book a free 20-minute consultation and we'll figure it out together based on your specific situation.
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No—I'm licensed to provide telehealth throughout California. Whether you're in San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, or anywhere else in the state, we can work together.
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Individual therapy is focused entirely on you—your experiences, emotions, and coping strategies. Dyadic therapy includes you and one other person (partner, sibling, parent, adult child) to work on communication, shared decisions, and relationship dynamics around caregiving.
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Groups meet monthly for 90 minutes via telehealth. They're small (8-12 people), confidential, and facilitated with therapeutic structure. You'll learn skills, share experiences, and build community with people who truly understand what you're going through.
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If you're in crisis, please call 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or go to your nearest emergency room. For non-emergency support before September, contact Cancer Support Community LA if you've been affected by cancer, or I can provide referrals to colleagues accepting clients now.