Maria
Maria Albertsen died at the tragically young age of 44, at St. Benedict’s Hospice, Sunderland, on 20th November 2024.
Born in Sunderland, Maria qualified as a counsellor in 2005. Her skill was evident and she worked in a variety of demanding settings, blending professional rigour with an acute understanding of client needs. In 2010, she earned the MA in Counselling from York St. John University.
Maria brought a rare and invaluable working class perspective to her work, offering insight into the realities of low waged work still overlooked by our profession. In 2017, Maria founded Counsellors Together UK to challenge the prevalence of unpaid work routinely expected from counsellors and psychotherapists. Under her leadership, the organisation grew to more than 10,000 members, with Maria tirelessly advocating for equity and fairness. Her determination and distinctive focus on tackling injustice in the profession led her to collaborate with activists and researchers, working closely with Elizabeth Cotton from Surviving Work, in uncovering and addressing therapist poverty.
In 2019, Maria established National Counsellors Day as a platform for addressing social and political issues within the field by highlighting often under-recognised socially engaged work in the sector. Working with John and Sandra Wilson and Onlinevents allowed National Counsellors Day to be celebrated during lockdowns, reaching international audiences as well as facilitating access for disabled and other marginalised therapists, a practice which continues today.
Maria’s impact was far-reaching. She championed successful motions and resolutions at BACP AGMs, including the 2017 resolution that ended the advertising of unpaid employment in Therapy Today. Her final resolution, co-authored with Marvis Stewart in 2022, succeeded in requiring BACP to proactively tackle unpaid employment.
Maria’s initiatives were numerous and generous. She created free retreats for counsellors and psychotherapists, offered mentoring and co-working days, developed client-focused materials with professional registers, and collaborated with activists to critically evaluate the SCoPEd project. She also partnered with agencies and organisations that exemplify responsible employment, advocating standards for genuinely ethical practice.
Maria earned the trust and friendship of many senior figures within professional membership bodies, gaining a unique insight into their operations. She remained grounded, and disinterested in status, notably her own, dedicating as much time to her colleagues and CTUK members as she did to industry leaders.
Maria was brimming with ideas, energy, and generosity. Her absence leaves a void that will be deeply felt by all who knew her. Our profession has lost a unique champion.
She was also a dear friend, a loving mother to three children, a cherished sister, and a beloved daughter. Her family held her tenderly throughout the months of her illness.
The family requests that any donations be made to St. Benedict’s Hospice in Maria’s memory:
https://www.justgiving.com/stbenedictshospice
Clare Slaney November 22 2024