Maria Rocha, BACP

Maria Rocha is a counsellor with 12 years' experience who works from a holistic perspective. She is a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Maria combines practical talking therapy with approaches that attend to thoughts, feelings and personal meaning.

Her sessions aim to help people clarify what matters to them and manage stress, anxiety and depression. She also supports people facing relationship strain, grief, parenting pressures, career stress and life changes. Maria works with issues such as addiction, low self-esteem, anger and trauma-related concerns in straightforward, person-centred ways.

Maria draws on cognitive behavioural ideas to help people change unhelpful thinking and behavioural patterns. She also uses attachment-based perspectives to look at how early relationships shape current responses. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) features when the focus is on values and building a meaningful daily life.

The work often includes looking back at where problems began and then making small, practical changes in the present. Sessions can cover coping strategies, communication skills, and ways to rebuild confidence after loss or separation. Maria describes therapy as a collaborative process that balances emotional understanding with practical steps.

She speaks English and Portuguese and sees adults from the United Kingdom and internationally. People who prefer a mix of reflective conversation and concrete tools may find her approach fits well.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Maria uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help people identify what they value and build daily routines around those values. ACT often involves small behavioural experiments and exercises that can be practised between sessions to reduce avoidance and increase meaningful activity.

She also uses Attachment-Based Therapy to look at how early relationships influence current patterns of relating. This approach helps people notice repetitive dynamics and try different ways of connecting and reacting in relationships.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Maria will discuss goals, preferences and how you respond to different ways of working, then choose methods together. The aim is a collaborative plan that feels doable and clear.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the session formats before booking so you know what is offered. Online work can make it easier to fit appointments into busy lives, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Ask about scheduling, time zones and any practical adjustments that help sessions fit into your routine.