Maria Victoria Howell-Arza, MSW, LISW
(she/her)
Preferred Name: Marv
About Me
My name is Mariví, but you can call me Marv, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to partner with you on your journey to self-discovery! Officially, I am a Licensed Independent Social Worker/Clinical Therapist. Unofficially, I am a partner, a daughter/sister/aunt/niece, a friend, a cat mom (if we work together virtually, Juju & Sock might have some insight to provide if you’re lucky), and a person still figuring life out one day at a time. My Cuban heritage, BA in Arabic Language, and love for travel & learning about other cultures inspires me to continue trying new activities in my own life as well as approach my clients in a culturally and spiritually humble way that prioritizes social justice. I’m a sucker for leopard print, a scented candle, and a trashy reality tv show. Overall, I have been described by clients, co-workers, and friends as a “golden retriever”—I bring positivity and humor, ready at any moment to "sit" beside you and hold space for your feelings. It often feels impossible to be a human in the world today. If you feel like your body will never be "good" enough or “healthy” enough & you've been led to believe "fixing" it is a matter of "will-power," you're not alone. If your life feels like a cycle of crisis, distress, and finding yourself in a deeper hole than the one you were in the day before, you're not alone. If you identify with one or both of the previous sentences, we will have plenty to talk about. Together we can figure out what’s most important to you, how to get it, and how to remove obstacles one at a time. Let’s start uncovering just how “enough” you already are. As a trained clinician in the Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Eye-Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) models, my approach combines Health at Every Size (HAES) philosophies, trauma-informed practices, and humanistic frameworks that balance acceptance and change. I also take a strengths-based perspective to utilize you, the expert on yourself, as an equal partner in the process. If you’re ready to stop fighting your body and start embracing your true potential, let's work together. If you're tired of feeling tired and are looking for relief from your life as it currently is, whether that includes a component of body/food distress or not, I would love to support you on that journey.
Education & Experience
Previous employment and graduate-level field placements: 3 years at The Emily Program Cleveland Outpatient Site in the Adult DBT PHP treating co-occurring severe eating disorders and mental illness as Lead Program Therapist; 2nd year field placement at Neighborhood Family Practice in Behavioral Health and the Medication Assisted Treatment Program; 1st year field placement at Catholic Charities (Diocese of Cleveland) Migration & Refugee Services in the Survivors of Torture Program Education: Graduate degree in social work (MSW) completed at Case Western Reserve University in 2021 with concentration in Adult Mental Health and certificate in Trauma-Informed Practice; Undergraduate degree in Arabic language (BA) completed at Duke University in 2019 with minors in Global Health and Chemistry
Specialty Area
- ADD/ADHD/Disruptive Behavior Disorders
- Anxiety/Panic Attacks
- Depression
- Eating Disorders
Population Served
- Adults
- BIPOC
- Immigrants
- LGBTQ+
- Underserved
Language
- English
Insurance
- Aetna
- BlueCross BlueShield
- Cigna
- UnitedHealth
Medical Mutual, Oscar, Optum, Carelon Behavioral Health, First Health Network/Aither Health