Maria Rocha, BACP

Maria Rocha is a counsellor with over 12 years' experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, depression and life transitions. She is a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Maria speaks English and Portuguese and works with clients across the United Kingdom and internationally.

Her approach is warm and person-focused. She listens first to understand what is happening now, then helps people name the patterns that keep causing pain. Sessions aim to make small, practical changes that feel doable between meetings.

Maria draws on a range of approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment-Based Therapy, client-centred ways of working, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and existential perspectives. That mix lets her respond to different concerns such as trauma, addictions, grief, relationship and parenting stress, and issues around self-esteem and identity.

She helps people explore roots of difficult feelings and build skills to manage them day to day. Conversations may cover thoughts and behaviours, relationships and meaning, and how values guide choices. The focus is usually on what the person wants to change and how to take practical steps towards that.

Sessions are offered by video, phone, live chat or text messaging to suit different needs. Maria supports people who want a thoughtful, steady approach to making changes in their lives.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and focus on actions that match what matters to them. It is useful for anxiety, stress and adjusting to life changes. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts and behaviours keep problems going and teaches practical tools to change them, which can help with depression, anxiety and anger. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on patterns in relationships and early connections to help address issues like abandonment fears, relationship struggles and some attachment concerns.

Finding the right approach often happens together. The therapist will check what matters to the person, try approaches that fit those goals and adjust as needed. That collaborative process means methods can be blended so sessions match the person's needs and preferences.

Online therapy with Maria is offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging. Video is good for face-to-face conversation and fuller interaction, phone calls work well when bandwidth is limited, live chat suits shorter check-ins and text messaging can be used for ongoing reflection between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, caregiving or travel while keeping the focus on practical change and personal values.