Maria Palej , BACP, NCPS

Maria Palej is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom with six years of professional practice. She uses her experience to help people who feel overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression or life changes. Maria speaks English and Polish and draws on registered credentials with BACP and NCPS.

Maria works in a straightforward, conversational way. Early sessions focus on what brings someone to counselling and on practical next steps. She aims to create a calm space where people can talk through painful events, relationship problems or struggles with substance use and compulsive behaviours.

Her approach is integrative. She often begins from a client-centred position that prioritises the person’s own goals and pace. When helpful, she brings in psychodynamic ideas to look at patterns that repeat over time.

Maria also uses mindfulness techniques to help reduce anxiety and improve sleeping. She can apply solution-focused methods to set small achievable goals and to work through immediate problems like workplace stress or communication difficulties.

People come to her for a wide range of issues including trauma and abuse, intimacy-related concerns, grief, parenting stress, ADHD and eating or sleeping problems. She also supports those dealing with attachment, abandonment or codependency struggles, and people adjusting after separation or loss.

Starting therapy typically begins with a short conversation about what someone wants to change and how sessions might help. Maria works to make the process clear and manageable so people can take steady steps forward.

Therapeutic approaches and online care that fit your life

Maria often uses client-centred counselling, which places the person’s own goals and experiences at the heart of each session. This approach helps people who need a steady, listening space to work through anxiety, grief or relationship concerns.

She also draws on mindfulness techniques to help reduce stress and improve sleep. Mindfulness practices are practical exercises that teach noticing thoughts and body sensations, and they can be useful for panic, ruminating thoughts and oversensitivity to stress.

Finding the right approach is a team effort. Maria will talk with each person about their needs and preferences, then adapt methods as therapy progresses. That collaborative planning means goals can change as new insights and priorities emerge.

Online sessions offer flexibility for people juggling work, childcare or travel. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when that feels important. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging suit brief check-ins, written reflection and people who find typing easier than speaking.

These options make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy life and to keep regular contact while working on practical steps and long-term patterns.