Maria Haiyasoso, Ph.D., LPC-S, RPT, NCC
Dr. Maria Haiyasoso is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor, Registered Play Therapist, National Certified Counselor, EMDR trained counselor. She is an Assistant Professor in the Professional Counseling Program at Texas State University where she co-founded the Trauma and Interpersonal Violence Research Team in the Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education, and School Psychology. Dr. Haiyasoso is co-investigator on the Bobcats REACH (Response, Education, Awareness, Care, and Healing) Project, a project addressing the campus needs related to dating and domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, which is funded by the Department of Justice- Office on Violence Against Women Grants to Reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking on Campus. Dr. Haiyasoso also owns and provides counseling and play therapy services at her private practice. Her clinical experience includes counseling child survivors of abuse and neglect, nonoffending caregivers, and survivors of intimate partner violence. She frequently presents on trauma-informed and resiliency-focused practices at local, regional, national, and international conferences. She served as Secretary for the Texas Association for Counselor Education and Supervision and was appointed to the 2019-2020 Sexual Violence Taskforce of the American Counseling Association. She currently serves as the Regional Director for South Texas for the Texas Association for Play Therapy, a member of the awards committee for the Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling, and a member of the Guadalupe County Child Welfare Board, a position appointed by county commissioners to meet the needs of children via coordinated state and local public funds and services. Her research interests include counseling and/or play therapy with those who have experienced interpersonal violence; integrating movement in counseling and play therapy; parent-child relationships; and utilizing relational-cultural theory in counseling, play therapy, counselor education, and clinical supervision.
