Maria Malafeeva

Maria is a registered student member of the BACP. She is currently completing an advanced BACP-accredited diploma in Integrative Counselling with The Awareness Centre. Maria offers a warm, confidential and non-judgemental space where clients can bring what feels difficult, confusing or overwhelming. She works with people experiencing anxiety, emotional overwhelm, low self-worth, relationship difficulties, isolation, loss and life transitions. She is also attuned to those who may feel highly sensitive or who feel easily overwhelmed.  Maria works gently and relationally, supporting clients to explore their thoughts, feelings and experiences at a pace that feels safe for them. Sometimes present difficulties are connected to earlier experiences, unmet needs, or patterns that repeat in relationships. Maria helps clients gently make sense of what may be happening and what might support them in feeling more grounded, understood and connected to themselves.

Her approach is integrative, drawing on person-centred therapy, somatic awareness and psychodynamic understanding. This means she pays attention not only to thoughts and emotions, but also to the body, past experiences and inner conflicts. Maria aims to offer a calm, steady and compassionate therapeutic relationship where clients can feel respected, supported and accepted. Her approach is tailored to each individual client.

Before training as a counsellor, Maria worked in business, which gave her insight into the pressures of work, responsibility, stress and life transitions. Having lived and worked in different countries, she also understands how questions of belonging, identity and adaptation can affect emotional wellbeing. She values working with people from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. She offers sessions in English and Russian.