Maria Stannard , BACP

Maria Stannard is a counsellor who focuses on Women's issues and common struggles like anxiety, low mood and relationship strain. She works in a warm, respectful way and aims to help people take small practical steps. Maria has five years of experience and is a BACP Therapist - Registered Member MBACP. Maria uses a person-centred approach that puts the client’s voice first. Sessions begin by listening to what matters most to the person and building on their strengths. People can expect straightforward conversation, reflective listening and practical ideas to try between meetings. She also draws on trauma-focused methods when people bring experiences of abuse or overwhelming events. This can mean pacing conversations, helping people understand how past events affect them now, and supporting them to find safer ways of coping. Existential ideas are part of her work too, helping people face difficult life questions such as purpose, loss, identity and meaning. These conversations are simple and grounded rather than abstract, and aim to help people make choices that feel more honest for them. Maria has experience supporting a wide range of concerns including grief, eating and body image, self-harm, gender dysphoria and neurodivergent identities such as autism and Asperger syndrome. She also helps with caregiver stress, communication problems and obsessive thinking. Her style is calm and practical. New callers can expect a clear first session to set goals and agree how to work together, with options for video, phone or messaging to fit different needs.

How her approaches work online and what to expect

Maria uses person-centred work to place the person’s experience at the centre of each session, focusing on listening, reflection and practical next steps that feel doable. This approach suits people who want a conversational, strengths-based way to tackle anxiety, self-esteem and relationship concerns.

She also draws on trauma-focused therapy when past harm affects day-to-day life. That work moves at a careful pace, helps people understand how trauma shapes reactions, and supports learning new coping strategies for flashbacks, dissociation or strong emotions.

Finding the right approach is part of the process and will be agreed together. The therapist will work collaboratively to match methods to the person’s goals, needs and preferences, and may blend approaches over time as things change.

Online sessions can be arranged as video calls, phone meetings, live chat or text-based messaging. Video is useful for fuller face-to-face conversation, phone calls can fit around busy days or give an audio-only option, and messaging or chat suits brief check-ins or people who prefer writing. These options make therapy more flexible and easier to fit around work, caring duties or travel.