About me and how I help
Hi, I'm Maria Antoniou (she/her)
I’m a Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist and transformational coach specialising in supporting people to feel more confident, self-expressed and free to be themselves.
Who I work with
I work with thoughtful, creative and capable people who are ready to stop shrinking themselves and start creating a more expansive and joyful life.
From the outside, they may appear successful, self-aware and high-functioning. But inside, they feel overwhelmed and drained by self-doubt, anxiety, performing or people-pleasing.
They may be used to environments that don't fully support who they are, and have become used to staying quiet, avoiding the spotlight (as themselves) or holding themselves back from opportunities.
Many of the people I work with have grown up feeling “different” in some way. This includes people who are Queer/LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, highly sensitive, or from marginalised backgrounds. They are used to playing small in order to stay safe.
We work together to release limiting beliefs and old survival patterns so they can come back to themselves. It's not about becoming someone else, but quietening the self-criticism, reconnecting with their joy and purpose, and creating a life that feels more fully their own - while growing a sense of safety.
Qualifications & Experience
I bring together evidence-based therapeutic training, social awareness and over twenty years' experience supporting people’s personal growth and transformation.
I hold a Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy (Hypno-CBT®) from the UK College of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy, an evidence-based approach that blends cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness and gentle (non-trance) hypnosis.
My work is grounded, ethical and psychologically informed, recognises the wider social contexts that shape our lives and the importance of imagination, creativity and self-expression.
Before becoming a therapist, my career was rooted in the charity and social justice sector, in management positions, including - for almost 18 months - leading an LGBTQ+ organisation as Interim CEO.
Earlier in my career, I completed a PhD in Social Sciences (yes, you can call me Dr.) and spent six years as an academic researcher and lecturer, pursuing a deep interest in social identity, equity, and self-expression.
Alongside my therapeutic training, I've completed Life Coaching, Executive coaching and intermediate counselling trainings. I've also trained in energy healing modalities and used to work as a spiritual reader and teacher.
Over the past twenty years, I've supported people's personal development one-to-one and in groups, online and offline, within work-places and community settings.
I bring integrity, openness and respect for people's lived experiences and the roads they've travelled. My approach is gentle and collaborative, but I also provide the challenge needed to support personal growth. I believe meaningful change happens when people feel safe to bring their full selves into the room, without judgement, pressure or the need to perform.
I continue to learn, reflect and develop my practice so that I can support people with care .
And personally...
Outside the therapy room, I’m someone who values calm, depth, connection and play.
I was born and raised in East London in a Greek Cypriot family and 'came out' as queer in my late 'teens. My own experiences of culture, identity, and (not) belonging inform the way I work.
Now in my early 50s and living by the sea in Brighton, I’m often found walking along the coast, spending time with friends, dancing, unrolling my yoga mat, or planning my next adventure,
I’m committed to my own personal growth and do the same inner work that I invite from my clients. I believe personal development, while often heavy, can also feel fun and freeing.
