as seen on
and featured on multiple podcasts
as seen on
and featured on multiple podcasts
Most women already know they should speak up.
That’s rarely the hard part. They stay quiet because fear, past experiences, and deeply rooted patterns make advocating for themselves risky. More often than not, the barrier isn’t a lack of communication skills. It’s everything under the surface.
Which is why one more talk on confidence or assertiveness doesn’t move the needle. Real self-advocacy starts by understanding what has been keeping a woman silent in the first place.
She helps women understand what’s kept them quiet, and how to advocate for themselves anyway.
Drawing on evidence-based psychology, honest storytelling, and her own experience of learning to speak up for herself when it mattered most, Aaliyah helps audiences see the hidden barriers behind self-doubt, people-pleasing, and the fear of being “too much.”
They don’t just leave inspired. They leave understanding why they’ve held back, and that genuine self-advocacy looks like speaking up and taking up space in every part of their lives.
As a licensed marriage and family therapist, she understands the psychology of what holds people back. And as someone who spent years being dismissed before a diagnosis of Stage IV endometriosis, an illness that had spread to her lungs, she knows firsthand what it costs to stay quiet, and what changes when a woman finally advocates for herself. She brings both to the stage.
TEDx
Speaker
Essence & The Knot
Featured in
M.S., LMFT
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Podcasts
Recurring Guest
From healthcare organizations and conferences to corporations, universities, and community groups, Aaliyah brings this message wherever women are ready to be heard, and is at her best in women’s empowerment, wellness, and medical settings.
What Aaliyah speaks on.
keynote
The Invested Patient
What if being a good patient doesn’t mean being a quiet one? How to ask the right questions, recognize the red and green flags in a provider, and stay an informed, equal partner in your own care.
Ideal for medical & women’s health conferences
keynote
Beyond Self-Care
What if the greatest barrier to self care wasn’t the time…but guilt? Why burnout isn’t solved with another bubble bath. Learn how guilt, people-pleasing, and old beliefs quietly sabotage self-care and what it takes to finally choose yourself without apology.
Ideal for women’s empowerment & wellness
keynote
Too Much
What if being accepted has cost you being yourself? Discover why so many women silence their needs, fear, rejection, and overextend themselves in pursuit of belonging-and how authenticity becomes the foundation for confidence, healthy relationships, and courageous leadership.
Ideal for leadership & helping-profession teams
What audiences and hosts say.
“From the very beginning, Aaliyah was prompt, prepared, and a joy to work with. She brought not only an impressive depth of knowledge but also a genuine passion for helping others. Her presentation on stress management and self-care for women in leadership and service spoke directly to the hearts of our attendees. She was a tremendous blessing to our conference.”
Yolanda Foster
Past President, Houston Branch
National Association of University Women
“At the C.A.S.H. Youth Development Program, our goal is to expose students to knowledgeable professionals who can positively influence their lives, and Aaliyah exceeded every expectation. Her passion for serving others, coupled with her expertise and genuine heart, made a tremendous impact on everyone in the room…students walked away feeling seen, heard and empowered.”
Alicia Lacy-Castille
Founder/CEO,
C.A.S.H. Youth Development Program
“Aaliyah Maura is truly one of a kind.
What sets Aaliyah apart is her ability to create meaningful connections. She doesn’t simply listen; she is fully present, deeply engaged, and genuinely invested in the people she serves. Every conversation she has been a part of on our platform was full of wisdom. Her empathy and insight always left a lasting impact.”
Valerie Carter
Founder & Host,
LVWITHVAL | The Love & Victory Show with Val
I’m Aaliyah Maura
I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist, a TEDx speaker, and someone who learned the hard way that finding your voice can change the course of your life.
After years of being dismissed and told my symptoms were in my head, I was eventually diagnosed with Stage IV endometriosis. Getting there meant I had to stop simply deferring to the medical professionals and start advocating for myself, becoming an informed, active partner in my own care. As a therapist, I started noticing the same barriers everywhere I looked: in the doctor’s office, the workplace, relationships, and leadership.
Today, I work in a medical setting, helping people carry the emotional and mental weight of living with chronic illness and the way it reshapes everyday life. It’s exactly where my therapy world and the medical world meet, and it’s the place I speak from.
- I know how it feels to be “the responsible one” and still not feel allowed to take up space, because I lived it.
- I understand why the usual advice doesn’t work, because I’ve sat with the fears and patterns underneath it, in myself and in the people I’ve counseled.
- And I know that advocating for yourself isn’t about being louder. It’s about finally feeling safe enough to be heard.
M.S., Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist.
Behavioral Health Specialist for Oak Street Health.
TEDx speaker. Featured in: Essence and The Knot.
– book aaliyah
Let’s bring this message to your audience.
Tell me a little about your event and who you’re gathering. I read every inquiry myself and will follow up to see if it’s the right fit.