Maria Martinez Alonso

I am a Clinical Psychologist (licensed in 1993 in Madrid) and a Person-Centered Psychotherapist (certified in 2003 in Zurich). Over the years I realized that I could respond to my clients' needs in a more integrated way by deepening the fields of sexual health and trauma work. This lead me to obtain certification in Geneva and Lausanne as a Clinical Sexologist and Sex-therapist, offering counseling, supervision, and training in this domains. I also became a certified EMDR practitioner and consultant  (Trauma work) in Fribourg (Switzerland). I have almost 30 years of clinical, public health, and academic experience with various mental health challenges including domestic and intimate partner violence, sexual abuse, substance abuse disorder, crisis intervention, complex grief, mood disorders and other trauma reactions. I am a US-trained and certified MBSR instructor from Brown University (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, acc. to J. Kabat-Zinn) and a certified Yoga teacher (Yoga Alliance RYT 500). 

Since 2012 I am on the board of trainers for the Swiss Association for Person-Centered Psychotherapy & Counseling. Since 2015 I co-direct the New Jersey Center for Mindful Awareness & Yoga offering MBSR-programs, retreats, and individual sessions. I have  an extensive experience as trainer and consultant in mindfulness-informed psychotherapy, humanistic psychology, positive psychology, sexual health and EMDR for mental health clinicians in Europe and in the US. I work since 2016 as an external senior mental health consultant at the Staff Counsellor’s Office, United Nations (NYC), developing and delivering trainings on various wellness and self-care topics such as resilience, wellness, emotional self-regulation, mind-body connection, sleep hygiene and change management, facilitating meditation, yoga, and relaxation sessions, as well as providing individual counseling sessions for UN employees. In 2021 I started working for eMindful as a global teacher delivering evidence-based Mindfulness programs applied to everyday life and chronic conditions in various languages. In 2003 I opened and maintained a private practice for young adults, adults, couples and group therapy in Lausanne, Switzerland, for almost 15 years. During my career I studied and worked in Spain, Belgium, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland before moving to the US in 2015. Through my international background and my knowledge of foreign languages, I integrate a multi-cultural understanding in my work. I am  fluent in Spanish, English, French, German, Italian and Portuguese. I offer in-person (in the States) and on-line sessions through Zoom or Skype in all those languages. My therapeutic approach is trauma-informed and may include mind-body practices (Mindfulness meditation and mindful movement/yoga) when useful. My work philosophy is all inclusive, integrative, anti-oppressive and affirmative.