Maria Howell, BACP

Maria Howell is a UK-licensed counsellor with seven years of professional experience working with children, young people, and adults. She practices within BCS Counselling Service in South Wales, an ethical integrative organisation committed to making counselling accessible. Maria holds BACP accreditation - the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - reflecting her commitment to recognised professional standards.

Her work covers a wide range of presenting concerns, including anxiety in its various forms, depression, trauma and abuse, personality and mood disorders, addiction, self-harm and suicidal thoughts, bereavement, and relationship or sexual difficulties. She also supports people facing challenges related to neurodiversity, family dynamics, parenting, career stress, body image and eating or sleeping difficulties, as well as issues around intimacy, attachment and abandonment. Maria provides care to LGBTQ clients and addresses topics such as BDSM and alternative sexual cultures when relevant to therapy.

Maria aims to create an open, nonjudgmental space where thoughts and feelings can be explored safely. She encourages clients to take the courageous step toward change and offers support and empowerment as they work toward greater wellbeing and more fulfilling relationships.

Evidence-based approaches and flexible online care

Maria draws on evidence-based, skills-focused work that helps people develop practical tools to manage symptoms such as anxiety, depression, compulsive behaviours, and difficulties with sleep or emotion regulation. These approaches teach coping strategies and everyday techniques that clients can use between sessions to support steady progress.

She also incorporates relational and attachment-focused work that explores patterns in relationships, intimacy, abandonment, and family dynamics. This form of therapy supports deeper understanding of how early experiences and interpersonal patterns shape current difficulties and helps build healthier ways of relating.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the process, and Maria approaches this collaboratively. She will work with each person to identify priorities, adapt techniques to individual needs, and decide together which methods feel most helpful based on goals and preferences.

Online therapy with Maria is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, providing flexibility for busy schedules, mobility constraints, or geographic distance. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care and to access registered professionals from different locations while tailoring the format to what feels most comfortable for the client.