Maria Apiafi

I currently have availability on Tuesday and Wednesday

Hello, my name is Maria and I am a fully qualified and experienced therapist.

I offer face-to-face, online, and telephone therapy for adult individuals seeking to lead more meaningful and fulfilling lives.

Reaching out for therapy can feel like a big step. You may feel unsure, overwhelmed, or wonder whether what you鈥檙e experiencing is 鈥渆nough鈥� to bring. People often seek therapy because they feel unfulfilled, unhappy, or unable to cope with everyday life 鈥� and all of these reasons are valid.

People come to therapy for many different reasons. You might be experiencing anxiety, depression, bereavement or loss, relationship difficulties, or the impact of trauma or abuse. For others, therapy can be a valuable space for personal or professional development, including navigating workplace challenges or life transitions.

Therapy offers the opportunity to explore what鈥檚 going on for you, to make sense of your experiences and to develop greater awareness and understanding of yourself. This process can support healing past hurts, recognising and changing patterns in relationships, and building a greater sense of hope for the future.

How I work

I offer both in-person sessions in Nottingham and online therapy across the UK, as well as telephone sessions where appropriate.

The length of therapy depends on your individual needs. I offer short-term, mid-term, and long-term psychotherapy, allowing the work to be shaped around what feels most helpful and manageable for you.

As a Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapist, I draw on a range of recognised and evidence-based approaches to offer a flexible way of working that is tailored to you. I work relationally, meaning I place importance on the therapeutic relationship as a central part of the process.

Therapy takes place in a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space where thoughts and feelings can be expressed freely. I aim to listen with sensitivity and empathy, supporting you to explore your experiences at a pace that feels right.

I have experience supporting clients with complex trauma and post-traumatic stress, including where this may be experienced somatically, such as through physical symptoms or health-related concerns.

For therapy to be meaningful, it can sometimes involve exploring difficult or uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, or patterns. While there are no quick fixes, I am committed to supporting you through this process with care, professionalism, and consistency.

My experience

Alongside my private practice, I have experience working within the NHS, charities and Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP), supporting clients with a range of emotional, relational and work-related challenges.

Before retraining as a therapist, I spent many years working in aviation and the corporate sector, including supporting senior leaders in high-pressure, fast-paced environments. This gives me a grounded understanding of workplace stress and burnout, high-responsibility roles, organisational dynamics, identity, transition, and performance pressure, the impact of unsocial hours, disrupted sleep and demanding work environments.

I have lived and worked internationally, including in the Middle East and Europe, which informs my awareness of cultural differences and life transitions.

My work also includes an awareness of neurodiversity, and I aim to offer a thoughtful, flexible approach that recognises different ways of processing, experiencing, and relating.

I have experience supporting clients with anxiety and depression, trauma and loss, relationship and attachment difficulties, self-esteem and identity challenges.

Looking for a therapist can feel like a meaningful first step.

If you鈥檇 like to get in touch, please send me an email and we can begin with an initial conversation to explore what has brought you here, what support might be helpful and to answer any practical questions about therapy. It鈥檚 also a chance for you to get a sense of me and how I work. Fit matters in therapy, and it鈥檚 important that it feels right for you.

Our first session offers time to share more fully what has led you to therapy and what you hope for. We鈥檒l go at a pace that feels manageable, with space to ask questions and express any uncertainties about the process. This session also helps us begin to understand whether working together feels like a good fit and to start shaping the focus of the work.