Maria Pencheva, BACP

Maria Pencheva works with people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, trauma or relationship struggles. She speaks English and Bulgarian and meets clients from the United Kingdom and internationally. Maria aims to create a calm, welcoming space where people can tell their story and start to feel steadier. Maria has four years of professional experience and holds BACP registration with practice rooted in person-centred work. She describes her style as warm, curious and empathetic. In sessions she listens closely, reflects what she hears, and helps clients notice strengths they can use when life feels difficult. Her approach blends client-centred values with ideas from attachment work and cognitive behavioural strategies. That means she pays attention to relationships and patterns while also helping people try practical steps to reduce distress and build confidence. Maria also draws on emotionally-focused and existential perspectives to help people make sense of painful events and questions about meaning. This can be useful for those coping with trauma, grief, or a sense of life feeling stuck. She often supports people with specific concerns such as body image, panic, social anxiety, control issues, guilt and shame, and the emotional fallout of separation. Sessions aim to be collaborative and paced to each person’s needs. Outside of therapy Maria’s background in counselling and positive psychology informs a strengths-focused way of working. Her previous roles as an interpreter and advocate give her experience with diverse backgrounds and practical communication skills.

How Maria’s approaches translate to online therapy

Attachment-based work focuses on how early and current relationships shape feelings and patterns. Online conversations can help spot unhelpful relationship cycles and build different ways of relating to others and to oneself. Client-centred therapy puts the person’s experience at the centre. In sessions the counsellor listens closely, mirrors what she hears and supports people to find their own answers, which can feel steadying during stressful times. Cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT, uses practical steps to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. That can include simple experiments, breathing or grounding techniques, and tasks between sessions to reduce anxiety or panic. Finding the right blend of approaches is part of the work. Maria will talk with each person about their needs and preferences and decide together what to focus on. That collaborative process helps shape a plan that fits the client’s goals. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life and to keep continuity when travel or work schedules change. It can also allow for shorter check-ins when needed, or conversations that start gently and build over time. Because the biography does not list session formats, confirm the current options before booking so you know what will work best for your routine and needs.