What patients are saying
Overall rating
5.00
Average wait time
5.00
Bedside manner
5.00
“I received spiritual guidance from Mara in the middle of the pandemic. I loved how her spiritual guidance incorporated actual steps I could take in my life towards my souls desires. The check-ins about six months visualizations kept me accountable to what I wanted to see happen and I am grateful to say I achieved those soul goals that I visualized for myself. My astrology offerings boomed in 2022!”
ACMore than 1 year ago
“Maria is an excellent listener and possesses great energy. Her therapy is innovative, safe and fun. Extra privacy tools to ensure confidentiality and comfort. ”
PRMore than 1 year ago
About Maria Rivera
Focus areas
Adult Psychotherapy
Creative Arts Therapy
Somatic Therapy
Anxiety
Cultural Diversity Issues
BIPOC Mental Health Issues
Psychotherapy Intake / Initial Visit
Clientele seen
Young adults (18-24)
Adults (25-64)
Individuals
Treatment approaches
Art Therapy
Energy Psychology
Culturally Sensitive
Expressive Arts
Dance/Movement Therapy
Multicultural
Identity
Gender
FemaleEthnicity
Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx
Languages spoken
English, Spanish
Getting to know Maria Rivera
Greetings! My name is Maria Rivera, but you can call me Mara.
I am a Board Certified Dance/Movement Psychotherapist, Licensed Creative Arts Therapist, Spiritual Life Coach, and Energy Medicine Worker (Kemetic Reiki). As a movement and somatic wellness psychotherapist, I think of my practice as a space to integrate and tend to all of you—your body, mind, and spirit. I offer a therapeutic and holistic healing environment for BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) clients from a cultural, spiritual, and trauma-informed lens. It is important to me to work with the healthy aspects of your being, using a strength-based and non-pathological approach to support your wellbeing and transformation.
My practice incorporates movement and body-oriented techniques (Dance/Movement Therapy, Somatic Wellness), creative art explorations (Creative Art Therapy), and energy balancing tools (Energy Medicine) to facilitate an empowering process through our journey together. My approach is based on African-Centered principles and psycho-spiritual perspectives, integrating Systems Theory, Attachment-based theory, and Relational-Cultural Theory.
Dance/Movement Therapy (D/MT) is the psychotherapeutic use of movement and body-oriented techniques supporting the integration of physical, emotional, social, historical, and spiritual aspects of your personhood.
Somatic wellness practices are body (soma)-oriented techniques that support cultivating, developing, and honoring “inner listening” while increasing trust, grounding, awareness, and body presence to work through stressors.
These practices support individuals in treating stress, emotional dysregulation, depression, anxiety, trauma, and other psycho-spiritual sources of imbalance.
I hold a Master’s in Creative Arts Therapy from Pratt Institute, a Master’s in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Bachelor’s from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
What should a new client know about working with you?
While working together, I work towards creating a space in where you are empowered to be the creator of your own journey and trust your own body in order to heal from physical, emotional/psychological distress, traumatic experiencing or energetic constrictions. I believe in honoring your personhood, your process, your multiplicity, and your humanity with compassion and care.
Notes:
*My practice is out-of-network and I do not take insurance.
It is important that you are located in the same state as this provider at the time of your appointment and make sure to include your address.
*Once you book an appointment, please be aware that you will be contacted within 24 hours of booking for a brief initial consultation (15 min) to learn more about each other.
Looking forward to support you on your healing journey;)
Maria Rivera, LCAT is not in-network with any insurances
It’s common for mental health providers to be out-of-network. Many insurance plans offer out-of-network coverage, so you may get partially reimbursed. Learn more
Out-of-pocket fees and assistance
Initial session: $175 for 50 minutes
Ongoing session: $175 for 50 minutes
More information on payments and coverage
Payments can be made via Zelle or Credit Card (for Credit Card payments an additional 2.95% processing fee will incur).
Education and background
Practice names
Hospital affiliations
- Lutheran HealthCare
- Mount Sinai St. Luke’s
Education and training
- Pratt Institute, Master's in Creative Arts Therapy
- Teachers College, Columbia University, Master's in Industrial and Organizational Psychology
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (Bachelor's)
Professional memberships
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Community Advisory Task Force
- American Dance Therapy Association
Awards and publications
- Dr. Rivera received Excellence in Education Award 2021 from the American Dance Therapy Association
NPI number
1104205384
Patient reviews
All reviews have been submitted by patients after interacting with the practice.
Overall rating
5.00
Wait time
5.00
Bedside manner
5.00
Your trust is our top concern, so providers can't pay to alter or remove reviews. We also don't publish reviews that contain any private patient health information. Learn more here
9 reviews
Most relevant
I received spiritual guidance from Mara in the middle of the pandemic. I loved how her spiritual guidance incorporated actual steps I could take in my life towards my souls desires. The check-ins about six months visualizations kept me accountable to what I wanted to see happen and I am grateful to say I achieved those soul goals that I visualized for myself. My astrology offerings boomed in 2022!
More than 1 year agoAC
Maria is an excellent listener and possesses great energy. Her therapy is innovative, safe and fun. Extra privacy tools to ensure confidentiality and comfort.
More than 1 year agoPR
Maria is an excellent and very talented professional Therapist. During the time that we have worked together she helped me regulate my anxiety and depression with different somatic tools.Currently, I feel I'm able to enjoy more my life , manage more effectively the stressors and definetively have a more hopeful outlook to life .I highly recommend her services!!.
More than 1 year agoRR
Maria Rivera is an amazing, charismatic, empathetic and intuitive dance/movement therapist and overall psychotherapist. Maria's guidance embodies a strong connection to spirit and ancestral wisdom that allows you to feel seen, heard and cared with little effort. Maria has supported me through many emotional, career, and life challenges. I can't recommend Maria enough. Thank you Maria for the dedication and support you have dedicated to my well-being.
More than 1 year agoYC
Ms. Rivera has excellent listening and communication skills. She knows how to communicate ideas, and provide guidance without harshness or judgment. Her power of observation and constant reminder of connecting with my body allows her to fill in the gaps and find ways to better help me with my struggles. She focuses on leading me towards feeling confident and empowered enough for me to be able to make positive changes. I have always experienced her as an empathic and compassionate therapist who always centers cultural humility in all of her work.
More than 1 year agoSG
I am so grateful to work with Maria. She creates a safe space where I feel heard, respected, and curious. The questions she asks are different than what I expected and encourage meaningful reflection. She is a good listener who summarizes back what she hears. Working with Maria has expanded my understanding of myself and my experience in a validating way. She has been affirming of my queer and trans experience. I have gained many skills working with her and would highly recommend others work with her too.
Es un placer hablar con María y la recomiendo. Ella es muy buena para escuchar y da resumen de lo que escucho. Me hace preguntas inesperadas y importantes. Ella ha estado afirmando mi experiencia en general y como alguien cuir y trans.
More than 1 year agoSO
María Rivera is one of the best LCAT/Dance movement therapist in the world. She’s inclusive and understand my intersectionality’s issues. She’s my therapist since 2019 and thanks to her I’m available to be present and more aware of my capabilities ands short comings. Highly recommended. ????
More than 1 year agoNR
“Maybe you should try a different *kind* of therapy,” a friendly wisely suggested after I shared my frustrations with the several therapists I tried to see. That shift in perspective lead me to Maraka Healing and I’ve been an appreciative client for six years and counting. With María’s help: I moved through my immediate crisis, built a body/spirit-centered toolkit to navigate newer challenges as they arise, and identified the root of my mental/emotional issues. I can look to the frequency of our appointments as a marker of my continued progress: we went from weekly for years, then moved to bi-weekly, and now we have monthly maintenance appointments when needed. I trust this wholistic practice will also support your healing and transformation!
More than 1 year agoJJ
I highly recommend Maria . I really felt heard in our session. Also, she integrates verbal therapy with physical movement in such a unique and powerful way..
More than 1 year agoMH
How soon can I make an appointment with Maria Rivera?
Generally, Maria Rivera has appointments available on Zocdoc within 1 week. You can see Maria Rivera's earliest availability on Zocdoc and make an appointment online.
Is Maria Rivera accepting new patients?
Maria Rivera generally accepts new patients on Zocdoc. You can see Maria Rivera's earliest availability on Zocdoc and schedule an appointment online.
Does Maria Rivera accept my insurance?
Choose your insurance plan to verify if Maria Rivera is in-network.
Can I make an appointment with Maria Rivera online?
Yes, you can make an appointment online with Maria Rivera using Zocdoc. It’s simple, secure, and free.
Which hospital is Maria Rivera affiliated with?
Maria Rivera is affiliated with Lutheran HealthCare and Mount Sinai St. Luke’s.
What practice does Maria Rivera work with?
Maria Rivera works with Maraka Healing.
What are common reasons for patients to see Maria Rivera?
Maria Rivera frequently sees patients for Anxiety, Depression, Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy Intake / Initial Visit, and Therapy. You can see other visit reasons for Maria Rivera on their profile.
What languages does Maria Rivera speak?
Maria Rivera speaks English and Spanish.
How do patients rate Maria Rivera in reviews?
9 patients have reviewed Maria Rivera. The overall rating for this doctor is 5/5. They have a 5/5 rating for bedside manner and a 5/5 rating for wait time. You can read individual reviews and ratings on their profile.