Maria Cognata

Maria Cognata, MSW, is a bilingual therapist fluent in both English and Spanish and specializes in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), generalized anxiety, and health anxiety. She works with clients from children as young as 8 to adults and treats contamination, symmetry/balance, existential OCD, and repetitive negative thoughts.

She holds a bachelor's degree in sociology and international studies from Saint Louis University and a master's degree in social work with a concentration in clinical mental health from the Brown School at Washington University in Saint Louis; her clinical internship at the Multicultural Counseling and Research Center and involvement in the Casa de Salud Mental Health Collaborative inform her multicultural practice.

Drawing from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, she offers practical, tailored strategies. Her style is open, non-judgmental, and empathetic, using a strengths-based, collaborative, solution-focused approach to help clients manage distress.