Maria Stride , BACP, NCPS

Maria Stride is a person-centred counsellor with six years of experience supporting people through trauma, hardship, and a range of mental health challenges. She creates a compassionate, nonjudgmental space where individuals can explore their experiences at their own pace, guided by a warm and down-to-earth manner that prioritises the client’s comfort and sense of agency.

Her practice is collaborative and flexible rather than prescriptive, so sessions are shaped around what feels meaningful and useful for each person. To help express emotions that may be difficult to put into words, Maria integrates creative techniques such as art and play therapy alongside talk-based work, offering alternative ways to process and reflect.

Maria holds BACP and NCPS credentials, indicating professional training and a commitment to recognised practice standards. She works with issues including stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, grief, self-esteem, depression, and trauma, and supports people through life transitions and complex emotional challenges. With an approachable, empathic style, Maria aims to walk alongside clients as they consider new perspectives and build coping strategies that fit their lives.

Approaches for Online Counselling and Support

Maria uses client-centred methods to create a supportive space where the client’s experience and goals guide each session. This approach focuses on empathy, active listening, and helping people feel understood, which can be useful for issues like grief, low self-esteem, and relationship difficulties.

She also draws on mindfulness therapy to help clients build present-moment awareness and develop practical strategies for managing stress and anxiety. Mindfulness techniques can support people who are coping with racing thoughts, emotional overwhelm, or difficulty sleeping.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Maria works collaboratively with each person to identify what fits best for their needs, goals, and preferences. She adapts methods over time so the work remains relevant and effective for the individual.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can take place over video calls, by phone, via live chat, or through text-based messaging - making it easier to fit support into a busy life or to access therapy from different locations. This variety of options helps clients engage in ways that feel most comfortable and accessible while working with licensed professionals and therapists.