Maaria Aksar, BACP

Maaria Aksar is a person-centred counsellor with five years of experience in the mental health field, supporting people from diverse backgrounds through periods of change and difficulty. She works with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, relationship challenges, career pressures and workplace stress, offering a compassionate and non-judgemental space to explore what is happening in a client’s life.

Maaria believes that sometimes people need to be heard and other times they need space to think and be present with themselves. She meets each person with empathy, patience and unconditional positive regard, accepting individuals without letting her own values steer the process. Her style is warm and interactive, grounded in respect, sensitivity and a belief in each person’s uniqueness.

While her base is a person-centred approach that lets clients guide the pace and focus of sessions, Maaria also integrates cognitive behavioural techniques and solution-focused strategies when they suit a client’s needs. She tailors conversations and treatment plans to practical goals and the realities of daily life, helping clients make sense of overwhelming feelings such as despair, shame, anger and sadness.

Maaria aims to support and empower people as they take the courageous steps toward greater fulfilment and wellbeing. She holds BACP, indicating membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, and welcomes clients ready to begin that process.

Therapeutic approaches for online support

Maaria draws primarily on person-centred work and cognitive behavioural techniques to guide online sessions. Person-centred therapy focuses on creating a respectful, empathetic space where clients lead the conversation and explore their own feelings and values - it is useful for issues like low self-esteem, grief, loneliness and relationship concerns. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) helps people notice how thoughts, feelings and behaviours interact and offers practical strategies to change patterns that contribute to anxiety, depression or stress.

She also uses solution-focused ideas to identify small, achievable steps toward the changes a client wants to make, which can be helpful for career decisions, coping with life changes and managing anger. Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the therapeutic process; Maaria works collaboratively with each person to decide what techniques fit best with their goals, needs and preferences.

Online therapy with Maaria is offered by video call, phone session, live chat or text-based messaging, providing flexible options that fit different schedules and comfort levels. These formats make it easier to access regular support from a licensed professional without needing to travel, helping people maintain continuity of care while balancing work, family and other commitments.