Donatella Maschio, BACP

Donatella Maschio uses a systemic, relational approach to help people untangle recurring patterns in their relationships. She speaks English and Italian and brings 27 years of clinical experience to conversations about relationship strain, parenting, depression and trauma. Donatella works in independent practice and with organisations, connecting day-to-day worries to longer term change.

She trained at the University of Surrey, where she gained an MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy. She then trained as a Systemic Family Practitioner at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, which shaped her focus on how people relate to one another. Those training experiences sit alongside long work in counselling education and service management.

Across her career she has supported people dealing with attachment problems, blended family challenges, communication breakdowns and workplace stress. She also offers guidance around life purpose and the particular strains that affect young adults. Her approach looks at patterns in relationships rather than only on individual symptoms.

Donatella has worked in both public and independent sector settings. She currently advises staff on the emotional health of children in residential settings, bringing organisational experience into clinical thinking. Her perspective is informed by practical work as well as teaching and management roles.

She is an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. Donatella combines this professional background with an accessible, conversational style aimed at helping people make steady, realistic changes.

How relational approaches work online

Donatella draws on systemic and relational ideas that look at how people connect and influence one another. Systemic work focuses on patterns between people and how those patterns keep problems repeating; it is useful for communication breakdowns, blended family issues and workplace tensions. Relational approaches pay attention to attachment and emotional bonds, helping people understand how their past relationships shape current reactions and choices.

Finding the right approach is usually collaborative. The therapist will discuss what is important to the client and try methods that make sense for their goals. Over a few sessions the pair will review what helps and adapt the work to be more practical or exploratory as needed.

The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm the available online options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when a full session is not needed. It also lets people involve professionals who practise in different locations, which can widen choices when matching needs and language preferences.