Maryam Samar

I am a registered counsellor and the founder of Mindful People, an online low-cost counselling service created to improve access to therapy for individuals who may be unable to afford standard private fees or are waiting for NHS services.

Mindful People offers affordable, ethical counselling to adults experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties, including anxiety, low mood, stress, and life challenges. The service is designed to provide a supportive, respectful space where clients can explore their difficulties at their own pace.

All counselling provided through Mindful People follows the BACP Ethical Framework, with clear safeguarding procedures, professional supervision, and appropriate boundaries in place.

How We Work

Our approach is warm, collaborative, and client-centred. We aim to offer a safe and non-judgemental space where clients feel heard and supported. Sessions focus on helping clients develop greater self-understanding, emotional awareness, and coping strategies that feel meaningful to them.

Counselling may be helpful if you are experiencing:

Anxiety or worry

Low mood or depression

Stress or burnout

Low self-esteem

Relationship difficulties

Life transitions or challenges

Online Low-Cost Counselling – Mindful People

Mindful People provides low-cost online counselling sessions, with fees kept as accessible as possible. Reduced-fee places are offered depending on availability and individual circumstances.

The service accepts:

Self-referrals

GP referrals

Social prescriber and professional referrals

Clear inclusion and exclusion criteria are used to ensure the service is appropriate and safe for clients. Mindful People is not a crisis service, and clients requiring urgent or high-risk support are guided to appropriate services.

Fees

Sessions are offered on a low-cost basis at the rate of £40 per session. 

Referrals & Contact

If you are a client, GP, or professional interested in making a referral to Mindful People, please get in touch for further information about availability and suitability.

 Sessions are booked according to availability.

Face-to-Face sessions £70

Trainee Professional Doctorate Counselling Psychologist (DCPsych)

MSc Psychology (BPS Accredited).

BSc (Hons) Integrative Counselling Degree (First Class) BACP Accredited.

• Person-Centred

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

• Psychodynamic

• Existential

• Solution Focused Therapy

Certificate in Counselling Skills Diploma Level 2 and Level 3

As an integrative counsellor, I plan to work with my clients based on their particular needs and personality. My task is to identify the primary focus for my clients' work by using an assessment interview and choosing relevant intervention techniques and a blend of different modalities. My main aim is to help clients by allowing them to find solutions to their problems. I emphasise the client being an expert, and I am a source of reflection and encouragement. While adopting a non-judgmental, empathic and respectful approach, I encourage my clients to adopt an open and real stance towards a more flexible and curious position to have more choice in how they feel, think and behave.

During the counselling process, my role is to support my clients by accepting them while providing a safe, comfortable space for them to explore their long-buried emotions openly. My aim is not to fix my clients' problems but to help them find missing pieces of the puzzles for themselves. My acceptance and genuineness will enhance the necessary trust in clients to believe in their internal process.

While focusing on the client's ‘here and now’ feelings and awareness to explore their current situations, I will also look into past experiences and future hopes and goals. The sessions will include talking and will be interjected with various interventions that will be tailored to each client. For example, art materials, working with metaphors, guided fantasies, written exercises etc. The diversity of these mediums will allow the clients to dive deep into their thoughts and express emotions through creativity and self-expression. As a counsellor, I aim to work collaboratively to process the possibility of finding ways for my clients to access life even in their most challenging times.

I offer free 20 minutes consultation to discuss what you are looking for and the best way for us to work together. The initial consultation will give you an opportunity to ask any questions concerning therapy. If you agree to go ahead with therapy with me, then the contract will be given to read, sign and bring along to your first session. If you change your mind, you can cancel at any time by giving me at least two weeks’ notice period.

I offer both open-ended and short-term therapy. Open-ended sessions last as long as the clients need, and short-term therapy is based on 12 sessions that can extend according to the client’s requirements. Each session is 50 minutes long and will be scheduled every week at the same set time. 

 Sessions are booked according to availability.

Face-to-Face sessions £70

Trainee Professional Doctorate Counselling Psychologist (DCPsych)

MSc Psychology (BPS Accredited).

BSc (Hons) Integrative Counselling Degree (First Class) BACP Accredited.

• Person-Centred

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

• Psychodynamic

• Existential

• Solution Focused Therapy

Certificate in Counselling Skills Diploma Level 2 and Level 3

MY APPROACH

As an integrative counsellor, I plan to work with my clients based on their particular needs and personality. My task is to identify the primary focus for my clients' work by using an assessment interview and choosing relevant intervention techniques and a blend of different modalities. My main aim is to help clients by allowing them to find solutions to their problems. I emphasise the client being an expert, and I am a source of reflection and encouragement. While adopting a non-judgmental, empathic and respectful approach, I encourage my clients to adopt an open and real stance towards a more flexible and curious position to have more choice in how they feel, think and behave.

During the counselling process, my role is to support my clients by accepting them while providing a safe, comfortable space for them to explore their long-buried emotions openly. My aim is not to fix my clients' problems but to help them find missing pieces of the puzzles for themselves. My acceptance and genuineness will enhance the necessary trust in clients to believe in their internal process.

While focusing on the client's ‘here and now’ feelings and awareness to explore their current situations, I will also look into past experiences and future hopes and goals. The sessions will include talking and will be interjected with various interventions that will be tailored to each client. For example, art materials, working with metaphors, guided fantasies, written exercises etc. The diversity of these mediums will allow the clients to dive deep into their thoughts and express emotions through creativity and self-expression. As a counsellor, I aim to work collaboratively to process the possibility of finding ways for my clients to access life even in their most challenging times.

I offer free 20 minutes consultation to discuss what you are looking for and the best way for us to work together. The initial consultation will give you an opportunity to ask any questions concerning therapy. If you agree to go ahead with therapy with me, then the contract will be given to read, sign and bring along to your first session. If you change your mind, you can cancel at any time by giving me at least two weeks’ notice period.

I offer both open-ended and short-term therapy. Open-ended sessions last as long as the clients need, and short-term therapy is based on 12 sessions that can extend according to the client’s requirements. Each session is 50 minutes long and will be scheduled every week at the same set time.