Maria "Ri" Punt, BACP

Maria "Ri" Punt is a UK-based therapist who creates a warm, relaxed environment where people can explore their challenges and build clarity about their lives. With 19 years of experience, she works in an integrative way, drawing on a wide range of evidence-based therapeutic techniques to tailor support to each person’s needs. Maria encourages exploration of experiences without judgment and helps clients develop greater awareness, resilience, and inner resources to move toward their goals.

Her practice emphasizes trust, emotional safety, and a collaborative therapeutic relationship where individuals are listened to and supported. She offers help with relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, coping with life changes, LGBT issues, and a range of related areas such as caregiving stress, chronic illness, and alternative sexual cultures including BDSM and kink. Maria also works with matters like guilt and shame, post-traumatic stress, and veteran or first responder issues.

Maria holds BACP, which indicates membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and recognition of professional standards in the UK. She provides therapy in English and sees clients within the United Kingdom, offering sessions by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different needs and preferences.

Integrative approaches and flexible online care

Maria uses an integrative approach that blends evidence-based therapeutic techniques to suit the needs of each person. Integrative therapy means she selects methods from different approaches to address the whole person - emotions, relationships, and patterns of thinking - helping with issues like life transitions, family conflict, and coping with illness.

For trauma-related work Maria applies trauma-informed, evidence-based techniques that focus on helping people process distressing experiences and reconnect with inner strength and resilience. For relationship and family concerns she uses relationally focused methods that help partners and family members improve communication, set healthy boundaries, and rebuild trust.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Maria partners with clients to identify goals, explore what works best, and adapt interventions over time so therapy stays relevant to each person’s situation and preferences.

Online therapy options - including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives. These formats offer flexibility in scheduling, allow continuity of care when in-person meetings are difficult, and let therapists and clients focus on practical progress from locations that suit them.