Maria Stride
Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.
This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
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.
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 currently work on an Employee Assistance Helpline which allows me to gain further experience. I talk with those who are struggling with a variety of concerns from work difficulties to complex life choices/experiences and this has helped me to gain an even wider understanding of how certain events and even work can affect our daily lives.
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 a range of people from all walks of life and this has helped to shape the way I approach my clients. I believe this has helped me understand how important the relationship is within the counselling room and how important you are.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£40.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
£15 initial session up to 50 minutes
£40 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
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | |||||||
| Afternoon | |||||||
| Evening | |||||||
| Night |
Thursday, Friday and Sunday mornings are only available via video or phone.
I offer face-to-face, phone and telephone 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
