About Maria
Maria Stannard is a counsellor who aims to make therapy straightforward and approachable. They welcome people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression or grief. Maria uses plain language and a calm manner to help people start talking about what matters to them.
Maria draws on five years of practice and registration with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, MBACP. They work in a person-centred way, placing the person's experience at the heart of sessions.
How Maria works
This means listening with curiosity and following the pace the client sets. Maria also uses elements of existential therapy to help people consider meaning, choice and values when life feels uncertain. Trauma-focused methods are used when past harm is getting in the way of daily life, with careful attention to what the person can manage in each session.
Sessions are intended to be practical and grounded in real situations. Maria has experience supporting people with relationship and family problems, neurodivergence such as autism and Asperger Syndrome, gender dysphoria and LGBT concerns. They also help with eating issues, body image, self-harm, obsessive or compulsive behaviours, and feelings of isolation.
Sessions are offered in English and Maria accepts international clients. Therapy is conducted online by video, phone, live chat or text-based messaging. To begin, a short matching questionnaire is completed and appointments are scheduled according to availability.
Maria lists 3 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
- Family conflicts
Also listed
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Communication problems
- Depression
- Dissociation
- Domestic violence
- Eating disorders
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Gender dysphoria
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Training and background
| Register | BACP |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 5 |
| Languages | English |
| 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
Therapeutic approaches and online delivery
Maria uses person-centred therapy to make sessions feel non-judgemental and collaborative. This approach focuses on listening, understanding the person’s view, and helping them find their own solutions to stress, relationship difficulties or low mood.Existential therapy is also part of Maria’s practice and supports people who are wrestling with meaning, choice and identity. It can help when life changes leave someone feeling empty or uncertain about purpose.
Trauma-focused therapy is used when past hurt affects daily life. Maria works at a careful pace and aims to help people feel more in control of how memories and reactions show up in the present.
Finding the right approach is something to do together. Maria will discuss goals, preferences and what feels manageable, and then tailor sessions accordingly. The choice of method can change over time as needs evolve.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat or text-based messaging to make therapy flexible. Video allows face-to-face conversation, phone works well when bandwidth is limited, live chat suits short check-ins and messaging supports ongoing reflection between sessions. These options help people fit therapy into work, family life and travel.
Start online instead of waiting
Our partner service asks a few questions about what you are looking for and matches you with a therapist for sessions from home.
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Common questions
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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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