Mary Prime, BACP

Mary Prime is a BACP counsellor based in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, who brings over eight years of professional experience to her practice. She trained initially in person-centred counselling and qualified in 2018, later completing a higher level diploma that expanded the therapeutic methods she uses. Her work has included a role as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner within NHS talking therapies and she currently works as a Social Prescriber in Community Mental Health Teams. Mary is also training to become a health coach and can integrate coaching techniques into therapy when helpful.

Mary meets people where they are, exploring how different areas of life affect physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. She has worked with many hundreds of clients on common concerns such as anxiety, stress, low mood and depression, and has supported people experiencing self-harm or suicidal thoughts. Her experience includes relationship difficulties, life transitions for young people entering or leaving university, and grief following loss of relationships or loved ones.

One specialist interest is supporting people with chronic pain and long-term health conditions. Having lived with a chronic pain condition for 16 years, Mary brings lived experience that informs her empathy and practical focus on daily adaptations and coping strategies. She also has experience supporting unpaid family carers to reclaim aspects of their own life and build sustainable coping skills.

Mary has lived experience of neurodiversity, with later-in-life diagnoses of Autism, ADHD and dyslexia, and she draws on that perspective when working with neurodivergent clients. She has offered predominantly online therapy since the global COVID-19 pandemic and schedules many evening and weekend appointments to improve accessibility. Mary holds BACP membership - the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - and invites prospective clients to send a message to arrange an initial meeting to discuss needs and next steps.

Therapeutic approaches and flexible online support

Mary Prime draws on client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness techniques to tailor support to each person she sees. Client-centered therapy focuses on creating an accepting, non-judgemental atmosphere where the client’s own goals and values guide the work - this approach is helpful for building self-understanding and confidence. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) offers practical tools to identify and change unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns, which can assist with anxiety, low mood and stress. Mindfulness therapy teaches present-moment awareness and gentle self-observation, which many people find useful for managing worry and emotional reactivity.

Deciding which approach fits best is part of the therapeutic process and Mary works collaboratively with clients to find the right combination for their needs, goals and preferences. She adapts methods as therapy progresses and invites clients to reflect on what helps most.

Working online allows Mary to offer video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging to suit different schedules and communication styles. These options provide flexibility for evening and weekend appointments, make it easier to fit sessions around work or caregiving responsibilities, and let people engage in therapy from home or other comfortable locations while working with registered professionals and therapists.