About Maria
Maria Pencheva meets people where they are and helps them find calmer, clearer ways to handle difficult feelings. She focuses on stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, self-esteem and depression. Maria speaks English and Bulgarian and works with people across the United Kingdom and internationally.
Maria uses a person-centred way of working. She listens first, and then helps clients decide what feels most useful. Sessions aim to build emotional regulation, self-confidence and clearer communication.
How Maria works
Practical tools and simple reflections are used alongside conversations about meaning and purpose. Her background includes counselling work and an interest in positive psychology. That combination supports both problem-solving and building on existing strengths.
Maria has four years of professional experience and holds membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. In sessions she brings warmth, curiosity and a straightforward style. People can expect a calm and non-judgemental space to talk things through.
Maria often helps clients make sense of painful events while also looking for small steps toward change. She has experience helping with body image, communication problems, control issues, divorce and separation, guilt and shame, loneliness, life purpose, panic attacks, post-traumatic stress, self-love and social anxiety. Work can include short-term practical strategies or longer conversations about values and direction.
Maria lists 6 ways of working on the entry:
What Maria works with
The areas below are the ones Maria selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
Also listed
Training and background
| Register | BACP |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 4 |
| Languages | English, Bulgarian |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | United Kingdom |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
How these approaches translate to online work
Attachment-based work looks at how early connections affect current relationships and emotional safety. Online sessions use conversation and reflection to notice attachment patterns and build different ways of relating that feel less reactive and more steady.Client-centred therapy focuses on listening and understanding the person without judgement. In sessions the therapist offers empathy and acceptance so clients can explore their thoughts and feelings at their own pace, which helps with issues like low self-esteem and hopelessness.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, uses clear steps to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. Online CBT can include simple exercises and practical homework to reduce anxiety, manage panic attacks and shift persistent negative thinking.
Finding the right approach is part of the therapy journey. The therapist will work collaboratively to identify which methods fit the client's needs, goals and preferences, and may combine elements from different approaches as the work evolves.
Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls let people read facial cues and share material during a session. Phone sessions can be less demanding on bandwidth and easier to fit into a work break. Live chat or text-based messaging supports brief check-ins, ongoing reflection, or people who prefer writing. These options make it easier to sustain regular work and try different formats to see what feels most helpful.
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Common questions
What issues does Maria focus on?
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How much clinical experience does she have?
What professional credential does she hold and where is she based?
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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