Maria Papaspyrou grew up in Athens, Greece and relocated to the UK in 1995 to pursue her interest in training as a psychotherapist. The last 30 years have been a rich journey of learning and growth. Her initial training in integrative psychotherapy taught her the power and value of the relational as a cornerstone of this work. Her later interest and training in Jungian theory added a much greater depth of inquiry. Her most recent training in systemic constellations is the thread that pulled all her earlier trainings together by adding the systemic lens that allows everything to come into a greater wholeness. Her training in the therapeutic field developed over these years alongside her interests in expanded states and the two would become life defining and enhancing in unforeseen ways and finally integrated in the field of psychedelic therapy.
As a psychotherapist Maria has worked in the field of mental health both in crisis services and in general support settings. She later worked in further and higher education settings with young people, offering individual counselling alongside group workshops and events.
Since 2013 she has been giving talks on psychedelic integration and therapy and has been actively supporting the re-introduction of expanded states in psychotherapy and the development of this field in the UK through her participation in many projects. She is part of the wider team in Breaking Convention, the co-editor of “Psychedelic Mysteries of the Feminine” (Park Street Press, 2019) and the co-editor of “Psychedelics and Psychotherapy: The Healing Potential of Expanded States” (Park Street Press, 2021).
Her professional creative collaboration with Tim over the last 10 years in various forms and formats has found its current expression in IPT where they work together to support the development of CPD structures and professional training in support of safe and skilful psychedelic work within a therapeutic framework.
She currently practices as a Senior Accredited BACP psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and systemic facilitator in private practice in Brighton, UK.