Nice to meet you

Welcome! I’m So Glad You’re Here

Hi, I’m Maria, and I’m truly happy you’ve found your way here. If you’re struggling, know that you’re not alone—and that there’s a way forward.

I want to share a little about myself, not just so you can get to know me, but so you can see that I’ve been where you are.

As a child, I was sensitive and shy, always feeling like I wasn’t quite enough. On the outside, I appeared confident and happy, excelling in both work and study, but inside I wrestled with self-doubt. In my 20s, I started experiencing symptoms like IBS, anxiety, and amenorrhea, followed by Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). I tried everything, but nothing seemed to work. Life carried on, and I juggled career and family while quietly managing the pain.

Then, life threw me even bigger challenges. I lost my mum to Alzheimer’s and the relationship with my dad ended after a painful falling out. The grief and emotional turmoil left me with terrible anxiety, negative thoughts, and insomnia. Just as I began to pick myself up, chronic knee pain struck—and stayed for 14 years. No matter what I tried, I felt stuck and, at times, like a failure.

But something in me refused to give up.

Through learning about the mind-body connection and new pain science, I finally discovered the tools that changed everything. Not only did I free myself from chronic pain and anxiety, but I also found true confidence, happiness, and the ability to live life on my own terms—without fear or limitation.

And now, I want the same for you.

You are so much more than your past struggles, and life is too precious to be spent feeling stuck. Today can be the day you choose something different. Take that first step toward the life you truly want—because you deserve it.

I’d love to help. Reach out to me, or book a free, no-obligation discovery call to see how we can work together.

Maria

Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
― Nelson Mandela

My Journey to Heal from Chronic Pain

I overcame over 25 years of chronic pain after realising my pain conditions (diagnosed incorrectly as due to "wear and tear") were in fact due to false signals from the brain and an oversensitive nervous system that was out of balance. Cutting edge science has proven that neuropathic pathways in the brain are the most common cause of chronic pain. Despite this, the mainstream medical system ignores this and hence the outlook for most people with chronic pain is bleak. This is the reason I want to reach out to as many people as I can, as too many people are suffering for years and years without support, relief or understanding.

Science has proven that most chronic pain is caused by a combination of stress, trauma, Adverse Chilhood Events (ACEs), fear and preoccupation with symptoms. This approach helped free me of pain and other symptoms and now I want to help you too.

Learn more about my chronic pain on my blog and on my other website.

The Mind and Body: One Powerful System

The mind and body aren’t just connected—they are one integrated system. You cannot truly heal one without addressing the other. Our thoughts and emotions don’t just shape our mental health; they directly impact our physical well-being.

At the heart of this connection is the nervous system, particularly the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which controls involuntary functions like heart rate, digestion, and our response to stress.

• When we experience stress, trauma, or negative emotions, the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight mode) kicks in, flooding the body with stress hormones. Over time, this can lead to chronic pain, tension, digestive issues, anxiety, and burnout etc.

• When we feel safe and relaxed, the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest mode) takes over, allowing the body to heal, restore balance, and thrive.

But what happens when we get stuck in survival mode?

—chronic pain, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, high blood pressure, stress, IBS, CFS and so on.

The good news? You are not broken, and you don’t need fixing. Your nervous system simply needs the right support to return to a state of balance and ease.

Using a combination of breathwork, hypnotherapy, mindfulness, emotional processing, somatic work and other tools, I help guide you out of chronic stress patterns so you can finally reclaim your health, energy, and peace of mind.

It’s time to bring your mind and body back into harmony

Effective tools

EXPERIENCE

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is about being fully aware of whatever is happening in the present moment, without filters or the lens of judgement.

Mindfulness techniques can help you to turn towards and respond to emotions, negative thoughts and sensations in a more helpful way.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

How you think, feel and behave affect each other. In CBT we create change by changing the way you think and behave to help change how you feel.

Psychological tools

I keep abreast of recent research surrounding Psychology and also general wellbeing, so I can apply effective tools to help you change.

Hypnotherapy

In hypnotherapy we use Hypnosis to access the subconsious mind and to bring about change. There are different approaches to hypnotherapy and you can learn more about my approach here.

Breathwork

Breathwork is a powerful practice that uses intentional breathing techniques to regulate the nervous system, reduce stress, and promote overall well-being

Life long learning

EDUCATION

MSc Health Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology and Sociology

Hypnotherapy Diploma / HPD

Mindfulness Teacher Training - Level 2

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

Diploma in NLP

SIRPA Practitioner (Stress Illness Recovery Practitioners’ Association)

Education

Specialisations

I specialise in stress and anxiety; and mind-body issues such as Mind-Body Syndrome (MBS/PPD/TMS*) or chronic pain conditions.

*see breakfreeofpain.com for further information on chronic pain/ MBS/ TMS/ PPD

Currently Studying

Embodied Processing (The Centre for Healing) - Somatic therapy

SIRPA Practitioner

Have any questions?

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me

"Maria, thank you so much for all your support over recent months; our sessions were such a comfort to me during a very anxious and stressful period and it was a relief to be able to talk to such a caring person who could offer such constructive advice! The sessions eased my anxiety considerably and I now feel much more in control." (Client JD)

"thank you so much Maria. I'm sleeping so much better now after my session with you. hypnotherapy was obviously the answer to my problems. Maria really put my mind at rest and made me feel very relaxed about the whole thing. I have been sleeping really well now, which has made such a difference to my life. I can't tell you how thankful I am to get my life back!" (client MW)

Happy clients

TESTIMONIALS

I underwent a course of hypnotherapy with Maria to overcome the anxiety I had in doing business presentations, and I must say I'm very impressed with the results. After only 3 sessions I noticed a significant reduction in my anxiety levels and now take on presentations with much more confidence. I would not hesitate to recommend Maria's hypnotherapy treatments

"Well, it's a month ago today, and not only have I not smoked in that time, I haven't had the slightest desire to do so. Many, many thanks indeed. This is the longest I've ever gone without a cigarette and unlike previous attempts, giving up has been completely stress-free. I'm amazed at how effective the hypnotherapy has been and eternally grateful to you for helping me change my life for the better."

"Having been a smoker for 20 years and tried various techniques (patches, gum, etc.) I thought I would give Hypnotherapy a go. I must admit I was a bit of cynic before my meeting with Maria. In a very relaxed environment Maria talked me through the pros (not many) and cons (many) of smoking. Ten months later I am still not smoking thanks Maria.."

“Massive thanks to you for helping me get my life on track. You have made an enormous difference to me - in how I am and how I relate to others. Thank you so very much."

“Excellent, treated me for my flying phobia. Had a much more comfortable flying experience afterwards. Highly recommended”