Maria has her doctorate degree in clinical psychology. She completed her internship in New York and post-doctoral fellowship from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She completed studies in psychoanalytic psychotherapy from the renowned William Alanson White Institute in New York City. After several years of providing psychological services to various populations, she began working in the real estate industry. She is a member of the 2014 Leadership Academy and a committee member of the Candidate Screening Task Force of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors association. During her work in real estate, she was introduced to the area of design and discovered her love for staging. She has further developed that interest to include interior design by incorporating elements of psychology to enhance her design work. She has staged properties for real estate agents, as well as designed/redesigned interiors and exterior spaces of several private residences. Currently, she is beginning a new design project with a local non-profit. Maria was born in Colombia and a South Florida resident since the age of 3. She has been a living in Fort Lauderdale since 2006, is a member of the Lauderdale Yacht Club, and an avid tennis player. She is also a very proud member of the Charity Guild of Fort Lauderdale which serves to support Children's Diagnostic and Treatment Center and Kids in Distress.