Maria Rocha

BACP

United Kingdom

Calm, practical therapy for life’s difficult moments

Continue with Maria

At a glance

Credentials

BACP

Registration

BACP, United Kingdom / 61398

Experience

12 years

Languages

English, Portuguese

Location

United Kingdom

Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp.

1. • Motivational support
   • Values focused
   • Warm listening

   About Maria

   Maria Rocha is a BACP-registered counsellor with 12 years' experience based in the United Kingdom. She blends practical psychotherapy and reflective work to help people cope with stress, anxiety, depression and relationship or parenting strain. Sessions aim to clarify what’s happening now and find steps that feel manageable for daily life.

   Her background includes transpersonal and holistic perspectives alongside talking therapies. She draws on motivational interviewing to support change, and uses cognitive and acceptance-based ideas to tackle unhelpful thoughts and actions. Attachment-based and client-centred practices inform a warm, respectful listening style.

   Maria often helps people trace current difficulties back to earlier patterns and relationships. She works alongside clients to identify the roots of pain, and to rebuild a steadier sense of self. That may include exploring feelings around abandonment, grief, body image or life transitions.

   Sessions mix gentle inquiry with concrete strategies. Practical steps might include breathing or grounding techniques, noticing thought patterns, and setting small, achievable goals. The aim is to help people feel clearer and more able to manage day-to-day demands.

   Maria speaks English and Portuguese and has supported people with addictions, career stress, caregiving strain and long-term health concerns. She encourages a collaborative approach where the person’s values and choices guide therapy. To begin, people use the site’s Start Therapy button and follow the matching questionnaire to arrange sessions.

2. How different approaches guide online therapy

   Motivational interviewing is a conversational way of helping people find their own reasons to change. It uses open questions, reflective listening and gentle feedback to help someone move from indecision to action. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings and then choose actions that match their values rather than being driven by avoidance.
   
   Attachment-based therapy looks at how early relationships shape current patterns. It helps people recognise repeating dynamics in their relationships and learn new ways of connecting and regulating emotions. These approaches suit issues such as anxiety, relationship strain, grief and difficulty making changes in life.
   
   Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and what feels most useful, and together they will try methods that match the person’s needs. That process is collaborative and can change as progress unfolds.
   
   The practical benefits of online therapy include easier fitting of sessions into a busy week and fewer travel demands. Online sessions can make it simpler to join from work during a lunch break or to use shorter check-ins when time is tight. The biography does not list specific formats, so please confirm which session types are offered before booking to be sure they suit your routine.

4. Areas of expertise

   Primary focus

   Stress, AnxietyTrauma and abuseSelf esteemDepressionCoping with life changes

   Also works with

   AddictionsRelationship issuesFamily conflictsGriefParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficulties

   Additional focus areas

   AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisMood disordersNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPhobiasPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthSelf-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

   Therapeutic approaches

   Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Existential TherapyHypnotherapyImago Relationship TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

   Experience

   12+ years

   Listed in

   United Kingdom

   Languages

   English, Portuguese

5. Frequently asked questions

   What problems does this counsellor help with?

   Maria works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and relationship and parenting difficulties. She also supports people dealing with grief, addiction, career strain and life changes.

   How would you describe her therapeutic style?

   Her approach combines gentle, person-centred listening with practical steps. Maria uses motivational interviewing and CBT and focuses on values and small achievable goals.

   What is her professional background?

   She has 12 years of experience working as a counsellor and draws on transpersonal and holistic perspectives alongside mainstream talking therapies.

   What credentials and location are listed?

   Maria is a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and practises in the United Kingdom.

   Which languages are available for sessions?

   Sessions are offered in English and Portuguese and she is able to work with international clients.

   Which session formats are offered?

   The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking to ensure they meet your needs.

   How are fees handled?

   Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

   What should I do to begin therapy?

   Select the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist’s availability.

6. Online talk therapy is not emergency or medical care. Stopping or cutting down alcohol or other drugs can be unsafe without medical advice. In immediate danger? Crisis numbers

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