Community Highlights: Meet Andrea Santa Maria of Delilah Counseling

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Santa Maria. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story in the helping profession starts, perhaps a bit earlier than most, at the age of six when I came home with my ‘What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up’ project that read, “I want to help others.” Not knowing specifically what that meant at the time, I think when I reached high school, I found the meaning of helping others in my life, which became pursuing a career in therapy and counseling. Being exposed to issues in my all-girl’s high school like low self-esteem, eating disorders, anxiety, and depression I became so passionate in providing a safe space for teenage and adolescent girls to talk to about many of these mental health issues that were going unnoticed yet continuing to be exacerbated by factors such as social media and pop culture. Thus, I became a Psychology major at Ole Miss, where I did my undergrad and became fascinated with the behavioral side to psychology. It was here that I worked many hours in the Mississippi Contextual Psychology Lab and dug my heels into Applied Behavioral Analysis and learned the ropes of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I began going to the Women in Applied Behavioral Analysis conference throughout this time where I was exposed to some of the most brilliant female minds in psychology, exploring research and theories related to a variety of psychological and behavioral approaches. 

After my undergraduate degree, I was accepted to the Belmont Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling in program in Nashville where I fell further in love with the concepts with which I had already been exposed but began to further explore new treatment approaches and theories such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Narrative Therapy, with which I incorporate in my practice today. During my master’s program, I did my practicum and internship semesters at Hope Clinic for Women, a space for women to explore options and care related to pregnancy in counseling. It was here that I received training related to postpartum depression and anxiety, pregnancy loss, infertility, and post-abortion care. 

After graduation, to truly test my freshly polished clinical skills and abilities, I became employed at Centerstone Community Mental Health, where I was an Outpatient Therapist while working on my licensure. It was there that I was exposed to high acuity mental health-related issues such as Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Personality Disorders, complex trauma history, and suicidal ideations. Although it was incredibly challenging, I learned so much throughout this time in terms of my abilities to diagnose and treat a variety of mental health disorders, formulate accurate and thorough treatment plans, and practice safety planning for clients who are experiencing self-harm and suicidal thoughts. I also attended trainings related to Psychological Flexibility in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Self-Awareness in Self-Regulation, Somatic Psychology in the Treatment of Complex PTSD, Healthy Boundaries. Applications of the Adult Attachment Interview, and Strategic Planning in Suicide Prevention. 

Once I obtained licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor and as a Mental Health Service Provider in Tennessee, I opened up my own practice, Delilah Counseling, in Midtown in Nashville. Delilah Counseling is named after the leafy green flowering Delilah plant. As in the beginning, I still focus primarily and solely on women’s issues, specializing specifically in areas of anxiety, depression, complex trauma, OCD, and women’s issues in general. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the struggles that I found myself facing throughout my career and while establishing my practice, is learning to let go of expectations and doubts, and simply allowing things to happen. Those around me would certainly describe me as a planner and perhaps ‘Type A’, but being a therapist has allowed me to veer from creating plans and schedules, as anything can happen during a therapy session, and one simply needs to ride the wave that is the unpredictable to be a successful therapist and clinician. My whole life, I have truly relied on the idea and the plan that I would be a great therapist someday, and it is truly ironic that this plan involved so much letting go of planning and expectations, and letting the chips fall where they may. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Delilah Counseling, PLLC?
My practice, Delilah Counseling, is a new private group in Nashville specifically dedicated to women’s issues. Although I have just started my practice, I have many clients with a variety of issues such as OCD, eating disorders, complex trauma, depression, anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, and issues related to self-harm. I pride myself in being able to serve a variety of female clients experiencing and suffering from a variety of mental health-related issues while staying tethered to women’s issues as our primary scope of practice. Delilah is able to really differentiate from other practices in terms of the therapeutic models that I use. I truly use a variety of models such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Narrative Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) just to name a few, while using rich, contextual visuals, hands-on work, and stories to guide my clients throughout their sessions. Each of my clients is strongly encouraged to obtain a notebook at the beginning of their therapeutic relationship with me, as I give regular ‘therapy homework’ assignments after sessions that involve self-reflection using their journal. Some of my clients even arrive in my office with their notebooks opened, ready to take notes or write things down in session. Thus, my practice is really dedicated to doing hands-on, creative, and client-centered work with the women that we see. 

I hope to expand our practice soon to include other female therapists who share my passion in working with women and include services such as group therapy, family therapy, and couples counseling. 

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something surprising about me is perhaps my eclectic and interesting taste in music. In a day, I could listen to everything from Bach’s Cello Suites to Jimi Hendrix. I believe so much in music being a critical part of our healing process and emotional state — when I am not seeing clients, I am always listening to music. It truly surprises my clients especially when I post playlists of what I am listening to on my Delilah Counseling Instagram account and they are able to see the songs I use to cope with what I’m going through. A personal favorite artist of mine right now that has gotten me through a lot of my own personal anxiety is Briston Maroney. 

Pricing:

• $70-130: Individual Therapy Session
• Free Initial Phone Consultation

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.delilahcounseling.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delilahcounseling/
• Other: Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/user/317tr5xk4cflpsua4fi6q7pdkdiu?si=4fae0c90845e4644

Image Credits
Danielle Del Valle