Maria Stride , BACP, NCPS

Maria Stride is a counsellor who helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, grief, low self-esteem, depression, addictions and issues related to identity and intimacy. She offers straightforward support for sleeping problems, anger, career worries, coping with life changes, compassion fatigue and ADHD concerns. Maria works with people who are dealing with family problems, trauma and abuse, isolation and other painful life events.

Her style is warm, down-to-earth and collaborative. Sessions are person-centred, so the conversation follows what matters most to the client rather than a fixed script. Maria aims to make things easier to talk about and to help people find practical steps forward.

She mixes gentle mindfulness and solution-focused ways of working into her approach. Mindfulness helps people notice thoughts and feelings in the moment. Solution-focused ideas keep the work goal-oriented and focused on what would make life better between sessions.

Maria has six years of experience and holds BACP and NCPS credentials, which are listed as her professional affiliations. She offers support that can include creative techniques to help express difficult feelings when words are hard to find.

People can expect conversations that are paced to their needs and a blend of listening, practical tools and reflective work. Maria accepts clients in the United Kingdom and international clients in English, and she supports people who prefer different session formats.

How these approaches shape online therapy

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and following the client’s lead. The therapist offers empathy and reflection so people can explore feelings at their own pace and decide what matters most to work on.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and awareness skills. These practices can help reduce reactivity to stress and build steadier ways of handling strong emotions and sleep difficulties.

Solution-Focused Therapy concentrates on small, achievable steps. It helps people identify practical changes and what a better week would look like, which is useful for career worries, coping with life changes and relationship concerns.

Finding the right approach is part of the work itself. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and the issues at hand, and together they will choose methods that feel helpful. This collaborative process means plans can change as progress is made.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to fit sessions into life. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when a fuller exchange is wanted. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging suit shorter check-ins, real-time support between sessions, or people who express themselves better in writing. Registered or accredited professionals provide these options so people can choose what fits their routine and needs.