Maria Monk , BACP

Maria Monk is a counsellor registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). She has five years of professional experience supporting people with stress, anxiety, depression and relationship strains. Maria also works with parents and those facing family and life changes, including grief and career crossroads.

She aims for an open, non-judgemental space where clients can say what matters to them. Sessions focus on simple, practical steps as well as understanding feelings and patterns. That might mean talking through recent events or looking back at how past experiences shape current reactions.

Maria draws on approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Attachment-Based Therapy to help people notice what matters most. She also uses client-centred and psychodynamic ideas to encourage reflection and emotional insight. These methods are adapted to each person’s situation rather than used as fixed templates.

Her work often addresses parenting stress, blended family challenges, caregiving strain, and issues that commonly affect women. Maria also supports people dealing with midlife questions, life purpose, guilt and shame, and recovery from separation.

Sessions are offered in English and are held online by video, phone, live chat or text messaging. To begin, a short matching questionnaire is completed and then appointments are scheduled according to the therapist’s availability.

Therapeutic approaches and online support

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then choose actions that reflect their values. It can be useful for anxiety, stress and when facing big life changes. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationships shape current ways of relating, helping people who struggle with closeness, trust or repeated relationship patterns.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Maria treats therapy as a collaborative process and will help clients identify which methods suit their goals and personality. Together they discuss what feels useful and adjust the approach as progress is made.

Online therapy is offered by video call, phone session, live chat or text messaging to make sessions more flexible. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and non-verbal cues, phone sessions can work when bandwidth is limited, and text or live chat suit shorter check-ins or people who prefer not to be on camera. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, caregiving or other commitments while keeping the focus on meaningful progress.