Maria Stride
About me
My name is Maria and the aim of Taking Strides Counselling is to offer you a warm and compassionate space where we can work together to explore your inner world. We can look at ways of coping with difficult thoughts, feelings and emotions and/or situations you may be struggling with.
My counselling is tailored to you.
We will go at a pace which suits you and this can be short or long-term there is no time limit as to when you will feel ready to end counselling. By learning who you are we can move forward to where it is you want to be, whether this is accepting yourself or coping with particular emotions or situations.
I believe there is no one size fits all. By working in this way I can adapt to you and offer you the type of counselling you need rather than what I think will work which may include creative work, worksheets and mindfulness. You are the one who knows what to bring and you are my guide in your inner world
By searching for a counsellor you have made a step toward healing yourself or you may just want to learn coping strategies, whatever it is counselling may help. I have a wealth of personal life experience and although I may not know how you feel because each of us feels differently these helps me to understand more of what you are bringing to our sessions.
Through my professional career, I have learnt the importance of developing a relationship with my client. The relationship once established helps you to open up and explore your world knowing that you are unjudged and that I am right beside you. It helps to build trust in your counsellor and this can help you feel at ease.
Training, qualifications & experience
Foundation Degree in Counselling through Bath Spa University/University Centre Weston
I am a registered member of the BACP and I am fully insured
To further educate myself I undertake training which allows me to learn new skills and to further my knowledge.
I have a wealth of personal life experience which helps me to understand more about people's inner world without thinking I know better. Each of us feels in a different way so even if I have been through the same experience it will be different from the way you experienced it.
I have worked with learning difficulties and mental health and this has helped to shape the way I approach my clients. It has helped me understand how important the relationship is within the counselling room
Member organisations
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
BACP is one of the UK’s largest professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy. Therapists registered with the Association fall into a number of different membership categories such as Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP and Registered Member MBACP (Accred), each standing for different levels of training and experience. MBACP (Accred) and MBACP (Snr Accred) members have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by the Association.
Registered members can be found on the BACP Register, which was the first register to achieve Accredited Voluntary Register status issued by the Professional Standards Authority. Individual Members will have completed an appropriate counselling and/or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but will not appear on the BACP Register until they've progressed to Registered Member MBACP status.
All members are bound by a Code of Ethics & Practice and a Complaints Procedure. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
Accredited register membership
Accredited Register Scheme
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£35.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
£15 initial session up to 50 minutes
£35 per one hour session
I believe that counselling should be available to everyone, if you need support whilst on low income please contact me to discuss this further
Availability
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If you are unable to make a Thursday please contact me to discuss this further.
I am flexible and if you are unable to make face-to-face sessions we can arrange telephone or video sessions.
Further information
I can be contacted at anytime. If I do not answer please feel free to leave me a message with your contact details and the best time to call and I will get back to you asap.
I offer video and telephone sessions alongside face to face to give you the option if you are finding it difficult to leave home for any reason. Or we can walk and talk, being outside in nature can sometimes give us the peace we need to open up.
Remember you have taken the hardest step by searching for support and you are stronger than you believe. I look forward to hearing from you