Hello and thank you for taking the time to browse through my website. I hope you find the following information useful and reassuring as to my experience and qualifications as a counsellor. Ultimately, I hope it allows you to make an informed choice as to whether or not to use my services at MAP counselling. I will start by introducing myself, giving you some background as to how I started. I will also outline the experience and qualifications that I have gained and the professional bodies to whom I am affiliated.

My name is Maria Antonietta Palladino, I am a qualified, integrative, counsellor, which means that I work using three main theoretical models, psychodynamic, cognitive behavioural and humanistic.

I am a member of the following professional bodies; The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, The British Psychological Society, Association for Counselling and Therapy Online and CCC Counselling. I abide by and follow their code of ethics and guidelines for good practice.

My journey started In the spring of 1995, where my career took a different, but very exciting change of direction. I was working at the time, with students in an educational establishment, as a training consultant.

I came to realise, quite early on, that I was limited in the amount of support I could offer this client group, who often came to me with issues that were more pressing than their education. Having no specific training apart from a teaching qualification, I really wanted to learn how I could be more effective in supporting them. This is where my route to becoming a counsellor began.

I enrolled to do a Counselling Diploma in September of 1995 and in 1998 I had successfully completed the course. In the last few months before I graduated, I was offered a part time counselling post in a college, with whom I was employed for over 9 years. During this time I also worked part time as a counsellor with a range of other agencies, such as Victim Support, Drinkline, Employee Assistance Programme, and a young person's counselling agency. Due to my passion for learning about the individuals I was treating, I went onto complete further training on Eating Disorders, Stress Management, Brief counselling, Trauma, Anxiety, Personality traits, Addiction, Depression, Anger and Art Therapy. Feeling there was still more to learn, I decided to turn to Psychology and in 2002 I started my BSc in Psychology and Biosciences which I completed in 2006. Equipped with further knowledge and experience, I proceeded to work with offenders within community and prison settings who had severe alcohol and drug dependency. I now combine working part time in my private counselling practice, which includes face to face/internet counselling and working with offenders within the criminal justice system.

BSc in Psychology and Biosciences – 2002-2006

Certificate in Person Centred Art Therapy – 1999-2000

Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling- 1995-1998

Group Facilitation Core Skills - 2008

Online Counselling – 2007

Motivational Interviewing - 2006

Solution Focused Brief Therapy - 2003

Stress Management - 2002