I’m Dr. Maria Bermudez, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at The Banyan Tree Center in Athens, Georgia. I work with individuals, couples, and families navigating a wide range of life challenges. I see clients in person in Athens and via telehealth, and I offer therapy in both English and Spanish.

I have been practicing systemic individual, couple, and family therapy since 1995. Alongside my clinical work at The Banyan Tree, I serve as an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science and the doctoral program in Couple and Family Therapy at the University of Georgia, where I have been a professor, researcher, and clinician for over 22 years. I am a Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and a member of the National Council on Family Relations.

I grew up in Honduras and came to the United States as a first-generation college student. That experience shapes how I understand what it means to navigate new environments, build a life across cultures, and carry the weight of things that don’t always have easy words. I am a person of faith, feminist-informed, and have extensive experience working with Hispanic and Latinx individuals, couples, and families, as well as people from other marginalized communities.

My approach is theory and research-informed, strengths-based, and collaborative. I will work with you to examine what is already working well, consider what you want to change, and define clear steps to help you reach your personal or relational goals.

“For me, learning is always on the way. I will continuously strive to remain in a learner position.”

Background and Credentials

• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT), State of Georgia
• PhD in Human Development and Marriage and Family Therapy, Virginia Tech (2002)
• MS in Marriage and Family Therapy, Purdue University (1997)
• BA in Psychology, University of Houston
• AAMFT Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor
• National Council on Family Relations member
• Co-founder, Aspire Clinic at UGA (interdisciplinary clinic serving Athens-Clarke County)
• Co-founder, Lazos Hispanos (community-based project bridging health disparities for Latinx families)
• Chris Todd Outstanding Outreach Award, UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences (2020)
• Legacy Scholar Award, National Council on Family Relations (2022)
• Associate Professor, UGA Department of Human Development and Family Science
• Doctoral faculty, UGA Couple and Family Therapy program
• 30 years of clinical experience
• Therapy available in English and Spanish

How I Work

• In person · The Banyan Tree Center, Athens GA
• Telehealth available
• Adults, couples, and families

Approaches: Systemic therapy · Strengths-based · Theory and research-informed · Feminist-informed · Faith-integrated (on request) · Mindfulness-based · Collaborative

What I Specialize In

Couples Therapy in Athens, GA

Who I work with: I work with couples at all stages and in all forms, including enrichment, premarital counseling, couples in different life stages, blended families, couples considering separation, divorce counseling, and co-parenting. Couples often come in feeling disconnected, stuck in conflict, or unsure how to move forward. Some want to strengthen what they already have. Others are navigating a major transition or trying to find a way through something painful.

What we do together: We create a space where both partners feel respected and heard. I help couples examine what is working, identify patterns that are getting in the way, and build clearer communication and stronger connection. The goal is always defined by the couple, whether that is growth, repair, or finding a way forward with clarity and mutual respect.

Family Therapy in Athens, GA

Who I work with: I work with all family forms and presenting challenges. Families come in carrying conflict, transition, grief, blended family dynamics, intergenerational patterns, or simply a sense that something isn’t working the way they want it to. Every family has its own story, strengths, and struggles, and I approach each one with that in mind.

What we do together: I take a systemic approach, which means I look at how the family works as a whole rather than focusing only on any one person. We identify what is already working well, explore what needs to shift, and work together on concrete steps toward the kind of family relationships each person wants to have.

Hispanic and Latinx Therapy in Athens, GA

Who I work with: I have extensive experience working with Hispanic and Latinx individuals, couples, and families, as well as people navigating bicultural identity, immigration experiences, and the particular challenges that come with building a life across cultures. As someone originally from Honduras who came to the United States as a first-generation college student, I understand this experience from the inside.

What we do together: I offer therapy in both English and Spanish, and I bring cultural awareness, personal experience, and clinical expertise to this work. We create space for your full story, including the parts shaped by culture, family of origin, faith, and the particular experience of navigating a world that was not always built with you in mind.

LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy in Athens, GA

Who I work with: I have extensive experience working with people with diverse identities and backgrounds, including gender identity, sexual orientation, race, culture, nationality, ability status, religion, and spirituality. LGBTQ+ clients often come in carrying the weight of experiences in environments that have not always been safe or affirming, and looking for a space that simply accepts them as they are.

What we do together: I offer a space that is fully affirming and free of judgment. Whether clients are working through identity, relationships, family dynamics, or the impact of past experiences, the work is centered on what matters to them, at their pace, with their full self welcomed in the room.

A Few Things I Want You to Know

What to expect from me: You can expect a space where you feel respected, heard, supported, guided, and at times gently challenged. I will also be candid about who I am and the life experiences that have shaped me along the way. My hope is that the process we create together is enriching and meaningful.

My approach: I am theory and research-informed and strengths-based. I will work with you to examine what is already working well, consider what you want to change, and define clear action steps to help you achieve your personal or relational goals. I also conduct workshops and trainings related to relationship-building, couple and family enrichment, mindfulness, and diversity in a variety of settings.