Maria Rocha

Maria Rocha is a counsellor with 12 years’ experience and registration with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). She brings a spiritual perspective to her work and combines that with practical talking therapy to help people manage difficult emotions and life changes. Maria speaks English and Portuguese and is based in the United Kingdom.

Maria uses a blend of approaches to help people identify what is causing pain and to find ways forward. She draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address unhelpful thinking and to build workable coping strategies. Attachment-based and client-centred ideas guide how she supports people to feel heard and to explore relational patterns.

Sessions focus on what is happening now and on tracing back to root experiences when helpful. Maria aims to strengthen a person’s sense of identity and awareness so they can make clearer choices. She also brings a broader, existential view for those wondering about life purpose or meaning.

Typical concerns she works with include stress, anxiety, depression, anger and trauma, as well as relationship and parenting challenges. Other areas listed include grief, addiction, self-esteem and career decisions. Maria describes her work as addressing physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual aspects together.

People who prefer a counsellor who mixes practical exercises with reflective conversation may find her style appropriate. Her approach seeks simple, everyday steps alongside deeper exploration to help people cope and move forward.

How Maria’s approaches work in online therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people notice their thoughts and values, then take small actions that match what matters to them. It can help with anxiety, stress and feeling stuck. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and actions and uses practical exercises to change patterns that cause distress. It is often used for anxiety, low mood and coping skills. Attachment-Based Therapy pays attention to how early relationships shape current connections and helps people understand and change repeating relationship patterns.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Maria will discuss different methods and choose what fits the person’s goals and preferences. The process is collaborative - the therapist and client decide together which ideas and exercises to try and adjust them over time.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so please confirm current options before booking. Many people find online sessions help them fit therapy into busy lives, for example by removing travel time, making it easier to schedule shorter check-ins, or allowing sessions during a lunch break. Online work can also let someone use written exercises or short recordings between meetings to keep progress moving.