Counsellor profile
Maria "Ri" Punt, BACP
Counsellor - relationships and trauma
See online counselling options- LGBT concerns
- Relationship work
- Trauma and abuse
About Maria
Counsellor Maria "Ri" Punt is a British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) member with 19 years' experience. She works with people on LGBT matters, relationships, family issues, trauma and abuse, and coping with life changes. Sessions are offered in English and she practices in the United Kingdom.
Maria uses an integrative approach. That means she draws on different evidence-based techniques to suit the person in front of her. In practice she listens, reflects what she hears and helps people make sense of painful events and stressful situations. She aims to help people notice options and choose what feels manageable.
She has a particular interest in sexuality and alternative sex cultures, including BDSM and kink, and supports people facing prejudice, discrimination or the emotional effects of living with HIV. She also assists those dealing with chronic illness or pain and the stresses placed on carers and first responders.
In sessions she works at a steady, conversational pace. Conversations explore feelings, memories and current patterns that cause distress. Practical work may include building routines, managing difficult memories and finding ways to cope during life transitions.
Maria asks people to pick the See online counselling options button to begin. A short matching questionnaire is completed and then a first session can be scheduled. Costs vary with location and sessions run under a cancellable subscription.
Therapeutic approaches and online counselling
Maria describes her work as integrative, using evidence-based therapeutic techniques chosen to fit the person's needs. Two commonly used approaches are cognitive methods and trauma-focused work. Cognitive methods help people notice unhelpful thinking and try different ways of reacting; they suit worries, low mood and relationship difficulties. Trauma-focused work helps people process distressing memories and manage their symptoms over time; it is often used for post-traumatic stress and abuse-related difficulties.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The counsellor will talk through your situation, test what feels most helpful and adjust methods as the work progresses. You decide what to try and how quickly to move on to different techniques.
The profile does not list specific session formats, so please confirm current options before booking. Online work can make sessions easier to fit around everyday life, for example by removing travel time, allowing shorter check-ins or making it simpler to arrange appointments around work and caring duties. Registered or accredited professionals can also use online ways to keep continuity when people move or need flexibility.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
19+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she help with most often?
Maria focuses on LGBT issues, relationships, family matters, trauma and coping with life changes.
How would you describe her way of working?
She works integratively, drawing on a range of evidence-based techniques and keeping the conversation practical and steady.
How long has she practised?
She has 19 years of experience as a counsellor.
Which professional body is she a member of?
She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the UK work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted; she works with people in the United Kingdom.
How are sessions paid for?
Session costs vary with location and are billed via a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
What are the first steps to start?
Select the See online counselling options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the counsellor supplied to BetterHelp. A membership or registration can be checked on the professional body's own register.
Online counselling is not emergency care. In an emergency call 999, or see the help numbers.