About me
Maria Heitman MBACP/BPC
Therapies offered
Psychodynamic Therapy
About Me and the way I work
There are times in life when things can feel difficult to make sense of, and you may find yourself feeling anxious, low, or not quite yourself. You may be struggling with anxiety, low mood, relationship difficulties, loss or trauma, or noticing patterns in your life that repeat without fully understanding why. At other times, there may simply be a sense that something is not quite right, even if it is difficult to put into words.
I am a psychodynamic counsellor offering a consistent, reflective space where we can begin to think together about what might be going on for you. I work in a curious and thoughtful way, and I do not rush to make sense of things too quickly. I see therapy as a space where meaning can gradually become clearer over time, at a pace that feels manageable.
Alongside what is happening in your life now, we may also begin to think about how earlier experiences and relationships continue to shape the way you feel about yourself and others, often outside of conscious awareness. Over time, this can help bring patterns into view that may previously have felt hard to recognise or understand.
I am interested in understanding people’s inner worlds and the emotional meaning behind their experiences. I aim to offer a space where thoughts and feelings can be brought without fear of judgement, including those that feel complex, contradictory or difficult to say out loud. Some experiences can feel too much to carry alone, and part of therapy is having someone who can stay with those feelings with you and think about them alongside you.
The therapeutic relationship is an important part of the work, and can itself become a place where patterns in relationships begin to emerge and be understood.
I work with adults experiencing a wide range of emotional and psychological difficulties, including anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, abuse, eating-related issues, anger, and questions around identity and self-worth.
Alongside this, I have a particular interest in the perinatal period. Pregnancy, birth and becoming a parent can bring profound emotional and psychological change. Alongside joy and anticipation, there can also be uncertainty, grief, fear, guilt, ambivalence, or a sense of feeling unlike yourself. These experiences often touch on identity, relationships, and early experiences of being cared for.
I am currently undertaking specialist training in Perinatal Psychotherapy (due for completion in 2027), alongside my ongoing psychodynamic practice.
Training, qualifications & experience
Training, qualifications & experience
I am an experienced psychodynamic counsellor with over 10 years’ experience working 1:1 with clients.
I hold a BACP/BPC accredited Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling and am a registered member of both the BACP and BPC.
I began my training working within a charity providing open-ended counselling with adults. This then extended to working within a charity supporting young people aged 18+, often involving more time-limited work. I have worked with people experiencing a range of difficulties including anxiety, low mood, trauma, adoption, abuse, anger, suicidal thoughts and eating-related issues.
I have a particular interest in working within the perinatal period, and I am currently undertaking specialist training in Perinatal Psychotherapy (due for completion in 2027).
Additional training and professional development includes:
Post-qualifying certificate in Working with Trauma (Basingstoke Counselling Service)
Certificate in Assessment Training (Alton Counselling Service)
Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Awareness Training (Institute of Health Visiting)
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
Therapies offered
Fees
£60.00 per session
Additional information
£60 per 50 minute ongoing sessions.
I offer a free, brief introductory call to decide whether working together feels like a good fit. This not a therapy session but a chance to ask questions about how I work and what you are looking for.
The next step would be to meet for an initial consultation which would be for up to 1.5 hours. The fee for this is £70
When I work
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Further information
Registration/accreditation
- Registered member of the BACP
