Hi, I’m Maria Cruz!

I’m the founder of Well of Wisdom Therapy and a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), who provides online therapy for women experiencing the heavy feelings of anxiety, perfectionism, and trauma.

If you’re on this page, you probably want to know if:

1) I’m a normal person and 2) I can be helpful to you.

My goal is to help you heal and make sense of your past, improve your ability to navigate normal life, and accomplish the life of your dreams.

To answer your first question, I am a normal person, too, with my own joys and struggles – that might look a lot like yours.

I’m a Florida girl with lineage from Nicaragua, a transplant to Massachusetts for over a decade, and now I live in Colorado.

I love being bicultural and holding tight to both my LatinX heritage and the American way of life, and I am in an ever-evolving process of integrating both.

I have had a personal meditation and yoga practice since my early 20’s which continues to ground me and sustain me in mind, body, and spirit. I’ve also attended therapy on and off since then and have grown appreciative of the space therapy offers for self acceptance and evolution.

I also love exploring nature and different geographies and I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for this beautiful Earth. I actually hiked the whole 2,198.4 mile Appalachian Trail in 2023, and it brought me back to my essential nature: a human creature amongst other creatures living by the rhythms of nature. It rewilded my body, mind, and soul. I’m happiest around water - lakes and rivers - and could swim for hours in the summer. But I also love having some good introverted time with books and creative projects.

I also have my own healing journey and personal experience recovering from:

  • Perfectionism and “good girl” syndrome

  • Grief and loss of my father due to cancer

  • Low self-esteem after a PCOS health diagnosis

  • Being a person in a curvy body facing the harmful effects of the “wellness” industry, which sees health as just what you eat and how you exercise

  • Spiritual bypassing in meditation and yoga circles

  • More traditional beliefs and values within my Hispanic family and Catholic religion of origin around my role as a daughter and woman and discovering love and nature as what feels closest to a religion or spirituality

  • Abandonment wounds with siblings

  • The confusion and excitement of life transitions in my 20s and 30s including moving states, shifting relationships and roles, and moving from one life milestone and season of life to another

And to answer your second question – yes, therapy can help! Believe it or not, I’ve always known I wanted to be a therapist.

I have always identified with being a “seeker” or “mystic,” and I chose to become a therapist at age 12, simply because human life seemed like the most fascinating thing to learn about.

I loved studying psychology and theology in college, and these topics continue to mystify and intrigue me. I’m always on the lookout for the next best self-help book, therapy modality, or any way I can experience the truth about myself or the world. I believe there is always more than meets the eye, that worlds unseen are as powerful as those seen, and I am obsessed with transformation and the power each of us has to cheap from the past and create our own realities.

My passion is supporting others on the journey of life because I truly see it that way – an adventure full of joys and troubles and everything in between. And it’s a ride that shouldn’t be taken alone.

In therapy, I take a person-centered approach, meaning I’m here with you on this journey, as you and your inner wisdom lead the way.

You’ll get a chance to share all your feelings – and be heard and understood.

We will collaborate together on what approach will be helpful when.

Whatever path we take, my process will always be guided by the following values (as defined in “The Live Your Values Deck”):

  • Curiosity: learning and understanding

  • Connection: prioritizing close and ongoing relationships

  • Compassion: having deep sympathy and sorrow for your own and others’ suffering

  • Collaboration: working towards a common good together

  • Genuineness: being sincere and free of pretense

  • Love: treating others with closeness, warmth, and affection

  • Optimism: practicing hopefulness and confidence about the future and expecting successful outcomes

  • Patience: having the capacity to accept or tolerate delay

  • Spirituality: recognizing and celebrating a power that is greater

Licensure:

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

License #123485 in MA

Academic & Career Background:

Master’s in Social Work from Boston College 2018

B.A in Psychology and Theology from Boston College 2014

Experience working in a wide range of settings, including schools, nonprofits, and outpatient clinics

Advanced Training:

Internal Family Systems (IFS) Level 1

Trauma Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST)

Eye Movement and Desensitization Treatment (EMDR) Parts 1 and 2