About Maria
Maria Prieto is a counsellor accredited with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). She has nine years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, grief and depression. She also supports people coping with trauma, abuse and major life changes.
She keeps sessions straightforward and compassionate. Maria aims to create an open, non-judgemental space where clients can say what they need to. She focuses on listening first and understanding each person's situation before suggesting ways forward.
Background and approach
In sessions she helps people name and make sense of difficult feelings. Practical strategies are offered when helpful, alongside time to process painful events and losses. Conversations are paced to suit each person, so progress can feel steady rather than overwhelming.
Maria has worked with a range of concerns related to communication problems, dissociation, domestic violence, guilt and shame, and self-worth. She also supports people dealing with issues linked to sexual assault and experiences in the armed forces. She offers therapy in English and Spanish.
People can expect a calm, patient approach and clear next steps after each meeting. Maria encourages anyone who is unsure to start with a short matching questionnaire to see if her style feels like a good fit.
Approaches that guide online sessions
Maria draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on making sense of difficult feelings and on practical coping skills. One common approach she uses helps people understand and process traumatic memories and their emotional impact; it offers ways to reduce upsetting reactions and to feel more in control over day-to-day responses. Another strand emphasises skills for managing anxiety and stress, with simple breathing, grounding and thinking strategies to lower immediate distress and improve daily functioning.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Maria will discuss options with each person and decide together what fits best with their goals, needs and preferences. She adapts the pace and tools as trust builds and priorities change, so therapy stays collaborative rather than prescriptive.
Online sessions are available by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging. Video calls are useful for a face-to-face feel and fuller interaction, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and messaging or live chat can suit people who prefer shorter, more frequent check-ins. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, family and travel, and to keep continuity when life is unpredictable.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
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Also listed
- Experience
- 9 years
- Licensed
- Languages
- English, Spanish
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