Maria Cognata

Maria Cognata is a bilingual therapist fluent in English and Spanish who works with a diverse clientele. She helps children, young adults, and adults manage Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), generalized anxiety, and health anxiety, focusing on issues like contamination and existential OCD.

Cognata earned her 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 with the Casa de Salud Mental Health Collaborative enrich her multicultural counseling expertise.

Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognata incorporates Exposure and Response Prevention, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Her approach is open and non judgmental, creating a safe space for clients to explore their strengths. Clients can expect practical tools for managing distress both in and outside of therapy.