Maria is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in perinatal mental health and birth trauma. She brings a gentle, patient presence to her work — creating space where women feel truly supported through the full complexity of the perinatal experience.
Maria Nowlin is a Licensed Professional Counselor who has dedicated her practice to supporting women through the perinatal period — pregnancy, postpartum, and everything in between. Her approach is grounded in evidence-based practice and delivered with a warmth and patience that clients consistently describe as exactly what they needed.
What makes Maria's background uniquely powerful is the breadth of her training. As a Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC) in addition to her counseling credentials, Maria brings a deeper understanding of how the nervous system processes stress, trauma, and emotion. This informs her clinical work in meaningful ways — particularly in her specialty of birth trauma, where the body holds as much as the mind does.
Maria's work centers on meeting women where they are. She understands that the perinatal period looks different for everyone — that there is no "right" way to feel, no timeline for healing, no experience too complicated to bring into the room. Her sessions are collaborative and evidence-based, with space for the full complexity of what her clients carry.
Maria is currently accepting new clients in Texas with Cheryl Reeley LCSW PLLC practice.
Maria brings a rare combination of clinical depth, nervous system awareness, and genuine patience to her work. Here's what clients experience in her sessions.
Maria's work is grounded in approaches with strong research support — including CBT, trauma-informed therapy, and somatic awareness — adapted thoughtfully to each client's unique experience and needs.
There's no rush in Maria's sessions. She meets clients where they are and moves at a pace that feels safe — especially important for women navigating birth trauma or difficult postpartum experiences where trust takes time to build.
With a background in music therapy, Maria understands that healing isn't purely cognitive. She brings an attunement to how the body holds stress and trauma — informing a more complete approach to perinatal mental health care.
Birth trauma is more common than most people realize — and more varied. It doesn't require a dramatic medical emergency. A birth experience can be traumatic because of how it felt: the loss of control, the fear, the feeling of not being heard or seen by your care team, or simply the gap between what you hoped for and what happened.
Maria specializes in supporting women who are still carrying the weight of a difficult birth — whether that's intrusive memories, anxiety, difficulty bonding, or a grief you can't quite name. Her approach is gentle, patient, and informed by an understanding of how trauma lives in the body, not just the mind.
Book Free ConsultationTexas licensed. The LPC credential reflects graduate-level clinical training and supervised practice in professional counseling.
Awarded by the Certification Board for Music Therapists. A rigorous credential reflecting advanced training in the therapeutic use of music — including its applications to stress, trauma, and nervous system regulation.
Awarded by the National Board for Certified Counselors, recognizing counselors who have met high national standards in education, examination, and ethical practice.
Dual graduate degrees reflecting Maria's interdisciplinary training across counseling and music therapy — an unusual and complementary combination for perinatal mental health work.
Maria works alongside Cheryl Reeley, LCSW-S, PMH-C — the practice founder and a certified perinatal mental health specialist.
A free 15-minute consultation is the first step. No commitment, no forms — just a real conversation about what you're going through and whether we're a good fit.