Maria Stride, BACP, NCPS

Maria Stride is a person-centred counsellor who has spent six years supporting people through trauma, hardship, and a range of mental health challenges. She offers a warm, empathic, and down-to-earth presence where each person is treated as an individual with their own story and pace of healing. Maria creates a compassionate space for clients to explore difficult feelings without being guided by rigid methods, instead tailoring support so it feels meaningful and comfortable for the individual.

Her practice is collaborative, focusing on listening closely and helping clients identify their own goals and strengths. To help express emotions that can be hard to put into words, Maria integrates creative tools such as art and play techniques alongside traditional talking therapies. She holds BACP and NCPS credentials, which indicate recognised professional training and membership of counselling bodies, and she practices in the United Kingdom offering sessions in English.

Whether someone feels stuck, lost, or ready to explore new possibilities, Maria accompanies clients with steady support and understanding, helping them to navigate change and build coping strategies that suit their life.

How Maria's Approaches Work for Online Therapy

Client-Centred Therapy is built around empathic listening and respect for the client's own experience. It focuses on creating an accepting environment where individuals can explore feelings, build self-awareness, and make choices that align with their values - useful for issues such as anxiety, relationship concerns, and low self-esteem.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches practical ways to pay attention to the present moment and to relate differently to thoughts and sensations. It can help reduce reactivity to stress and create steadier coping during periods of change or emotional overwhelm.

Maria sees finding the right approach as a collaborative process. She works with clients to identify their priorities, tries out techniques that fit the person, and adapts the focus as needs and goals evolve. This joint planning helps ensure therapy feels relevant and effective for each individual.

Online sessions offer practical flexibility - clients can meet by video calls, have conversations by phone, or use live chat and text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives, to access support from different locations, and to continue work through transitions while still working with licensed professionals and therapists who guide the process.