Meet Dr. Maria Fowlks

A note from Thrive's founder, Dr. Erica Wollerman: 
Welcome to our latest blog series!  Since I am often the one writing our Thrive blogs, I wanted to make sure that our readers would be able to also get to know the amazing team I work with at Thrive. I am so grateful to work with each of these therapists and they each offer our clients something special. Since we have a team of 6, we will be sharing these blogs over the coming summer weeks! ​

​Tell us about you and why you wanted to become a therapist. 
From a very early age I knew I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. Growing up with a mother who was a nurse and an uncle who was a firefighter, I saw how impactful being there for someone in their most vulnerable state could be. And I knew I wanted to find a way to do this too. This desire led me to obtaining my doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Through my education and professional experiences I developed a great passion for working with adolescents, their parents, and adults.
 
What do you love about being a therapist? 
Being a therapist brings me so much joy. I get to connect with individuals from all walks of life and see the world through their lens. It is a pleasure working alongside my clients, supporting, guiding, and rooting them on as they brave the challenges life can sometimes bring. My clients are as much my teachers as I am theirs. My clients never cease to amaze and inspire me with their strength, courage, and resilience.
 
How would you describe yourself as a therapist? 
It is important to me that each client feels they have a safe space where they can speak freely about their thoughts and feelings, where they feel heard and understood without judgment. I hold that space for my clients and meet them where they are with an open mind and heart. I believe the therapeutic relationship is similar to being teammates. I am on my client’s team; I walk alongside them in their journey. I support, challenge, encourage, and empower my clients to make the changes they want to make. 
 
Who do you love working with in therapy? 
I love my work with children, adolescents, adults, and parents. I particularly enjoy working with adolescents, as well as adults going through a life transition.  Areas of focus include, but are not limited to: ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, Behavioral Issues, Parenting, Life Transitions, Racial Identity, Relationship Issues, and Women's Issues. 
 
Do you have a particular theory or framework that guides your work as a therapist?  If so, describe it and tell us why you use that. 
My approach looks to help my clients become more understanding, accepting and compassionate in dealing with themselves and those they love. I incorporate evidence-based approaches that best fit the needs of each client. I integrate various frameworks including, family systems, cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and acceptance and commitment therapy. 
 
Share one thing you are passionate about in your professional or personal life. 
Although I love being a therapist, my biggest passion is being a mom. I enjoy spending time with my family outdoors taking advantage of the beautiful city we live in! I also love photography and enjoy shooting nature and architecture

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Check out some of Dr. Fowlks' photography below!

For more information about Dr. Fowlks, please check out her bio here! If you would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Fowlks, please also feel free to call our main number and ask for her or fill out our contact form here and note that you would prefer to work with Dr. Maria Fowlks!