About Maria
I have overcome 25 years of debilitating chronic pain (RSI and knee pain amongst other diagnoses). Having juggled a career, chronic pain, parental abandonment, anxiety, loss and bring up a family, I understand how challenging life can be. Often your own wellbeing can be ignored until your body and/or mind forces you to stop and listen. I’ve learnt that we need to face our fears, listen to our emotions, set boundaries, change our reactions to negative thoughts and keep our focus on what we want to get out of life.
I have been empowering people to face their own challenges since 2011, first as a Hypnotherapist and Mindfulness practitioner. After years of battling my own chronic pain, I discovered the work of Dr Sarno MD via the Curable podcast. I delved deep into the science to understand the link between our mind and body; and how this held the key to not just managing, but curing many chronic pain conditions. I read widely and then sought help from a Pain Reprocessing Therapist and am so thankful for being able to be free of my chronic pain conditions. Once free, I trained as a SIRPA practitioner, so I can support others with chronic pain and other stress induced illnesses.
We are affected by what life has thrown at us (e.g. Adverse childhood experiences, stress, trauma, bereavement) and our mind-body does indeed keep the score. However, our mind-body has an innate intelligence to discharge stress, heal, and return to homeostasis. Let me help you to guide this intelligence, regulate your emotions; and return to being free to live your life again.
My training
I am a SIRPA Practitioner, Hypnotherapist and Mindfulness practitioner with an MSc in Health Psychology.
I also have an MSc in Health Psychology, and use tools such as Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Emotional Freedom Technique, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to assist clients.
SIRPA™ (Stress Illness Recovery Practitioners’ Association) was developed in 2010 by UK Chartered Physiotherapist, Georgie Oldfield. Georgie had come across the pioneering work of John E Sarno MD in early 2007 after spending years trying to answer all the inconsistencies, she was regularly noticing between the symptoms her patients presented with and their diagnoses. SIRPA trains professionals in understanding mindbody conditions, teaching up to date pain neuroscience and SIRPA’s approach to resolving chronic symptoms.
SIRPA (Stress Illness Recovery Practitioners’ Association) have an in-depth understanding of the mindbody approach, both the causes of chronic symptoms and SIRPA’s approach to resolving them.
SIRPA Practitioner
