Maria Edwards
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
- My name is Maria Edwards and I am a qualified, registered and experienced counsellor. I offer a safe, non-judgemental space where you can explore your own feelings and thoughts.
I am a registered member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy) and I am therefore bound by the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice. This ensures that I work safely and ethically with my clients.
I provide a safe, non-judgemental, supportive, confidential, private, and quiet space where you can explore experiences, thoughts, feelings, memories and losses, that may be getting in the way of your daily life and of feeling at ease with yourself and others.
Often, past and current life events affect our lives, thoughts, behaviour and decisions. Counselling can help explore patterns of behaviour, and patterns of relating to others. Exploring thoughts and behavioural patterns can facilitate an increased awareness of self, and with this new found self-awareness, people can change the way they live their lives, putting them in control of the decisions and choices they make.
I have experience in working with people from a range of ages, sexualities, backgrounds and cultures, and have been moved and privileged to be part of their individual journeys. I have seen them through tears, heartache, despair, as well as joy and relief when they start to realise their own personal changes, strengths and growth.
My Approach
I am a Humanistic & Integrative Counsellor and Psychotherapist. I am predominantly Person-Centred in my approach, although I have also trained in various other approaches including Gestalt counselling, and I integrate elements of other approaches into my work.
This means that I believe we all have a tendency to make changes and move towards what we need in life, as long as we are provided with the core conditions to help facilitate these changes. I do believe that the core conditions I offer in my counselling room (empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard) can facilitate self-awareness and growth in clients.
Many of us learn, through our life experiences, that some of our real needs and feelings are not acceptable to others, and therefore, we find it difficult to accept them ourselves. This can result in anxiety, depression, shame, self-hatred, self-destructive patterns, and other forms of distress, as we adapt ourselves to behave in a way which we feel is acceptable to others. In doing this, we ignore our true needs.
In a healing relationship with an empathic therapist, we can explore and experience these needs and feelings and be able to accept them in ourselves. When we accept that our own needs and feelings are valid (eg. need for love, respect, acceptance, relationships etc) we become better equipped to meet them, to trust ourselves, and find our way to a more authentic and fulfilling life.
If you come to counselling with me you will be setting the pace of the work. We will work with whatever you wish to bring and at whatever pace and depth you choose. I will facilitate the work, but you are the expert of your own experiences, and I will support you to grow and feel more confident about trusting yourself.
Finding the right counsellor to work with is of utmost importance for the therapeutic relationship to be effective. If you are interested in exploring what it might be like to work with me as your counsellor, please do get in touch by messaging me through this site or calling me on the number provided. We can arrange a free, no obligation, initial telephone assessment before you decide.
Training, qualifications & experience
CPCAB - Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling level 4
CPCAB - Counselling Studies level 3
CPCAB - Counselling Skills level 2
BACP - Certificate of Proficiency
OCN Certificate in Supervision level 5
Continued Professional Development/Certificates:
Working Therapeutically with Obesity, Binge Eating Disorder & Food Addiction
Stress and Anxiety Management
BACP: Keeping clients at the centre (research cpd)
Weight Loss Made Easy
Psychology and Therapy of Addictions
Family and Relationship Counselling
Couples Counselling Toolkit
Eating Disorder Understanding and Awareness
CBT Approach to Weightloss
Essentials of Couple Counselling
Suicide Awareness
Zero Suicidal Alliance
Anger Management
Anxiety & Resilience
Understanding Dissociative Disorder
Rewind Technique for PTSD & phobias
Facilitating Therapeutic Groups
Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness
I work as an Affiliate Counsellor for one of the leading EAP (Employee Assistant Programme) providers in the UK. This involves working with clients on a short term basis (6 weeks upwards).
I can work short term or long term depending on your needs.
I have been a volunteer counsellor a Women's centre in Bedfordshire, where I worked with women with a wide range of issues, including physical, emotional, mental and sexual abuse, suicidal thoughts, bereavement, childhood trauma, depression, self-harm, relationship issues etc.
I also have over 15 years experience in the weight-loss industry and understand that weight issues go far beyond simply what people eat. I realise that there are deep, often unspoken, reasons why people have difficulty with weight and body image.
I am committed to CPD (Continued Professional Development) and attend regular BAPCA meetings for self development (British Association for Person-Centred Approach).
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred).
Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision.
Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training.
All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I work with:
Bullying
Childhood trauma
Difficulty relating to others
Gender Identity
Lack of direction
Loneliness
Loss (in it's many manifestations)
Performance anxiety
Self-hatred
Lack of self-belief
Lack of self-confidence
Shame
Social anxiety
Workplace issues
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
FREE initial telephone assessment.
Subsequent face-to-face Counselling Sessions (all 60 minutes) charged as follows:-
£50 - adults, Young People aged 11 to 17, Student Counsellors
£70 - Couples
Clinical Supervision for qualified and trainee counsellors:-
£60 for 1 hour
£70 for 1.5 hours
When I work
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Daytime and Evening appointments available. Please get in touch so that we can discuss a suitable day and time. Thank you.
Further information
You can view my Facebook page at
Room to Grow Counselling.
If you LIKE my page, you will receive notifications that may interest you.
I work from a peaceful therapy cabin in Arlesey, Bedfordshire. There is ample free road parking nearby. Arlesey railway station is approximately a 20 minute walk away.
I meet regularly with a Clinical Supervisor to review my work, and to ensure that I am working in the best interest of my clients at all times. I do not divulge names of my clients so you can be assured that your identity is kept confidential.
I am fully insured.
