Counseling Psychologist & RECBT Practitioner
Dr. Anna-Maria Plessa
Coordinator of Counseling Services at the Hellenic Institute for RECBT
Warm, collaborative, evidence-based psychotherapy for individuals, couples, families and groups — integrating humanistic-existential principles with cognitive-behavioral and attachment-informed approaches. Sessions available in English and Greek.
About Dr. Plessa
Dr. Anna-Maria Plessa works as a psychologist and psychotherapist. Her academic training and clinical experience began over a decade ago and span the fields of psychological neuroscience, clinical psychology, counseling psychology, and therapy.
Her doctoral thesis portfolio focused predominantly on counseling psychology and mental health in the field of substance misuse. Her doctoral research used grounded theory methodology to investigate and delineate the constituent parts of the therapeutic process of change, from the perspective of substance misusers who found therapy helpful in assisting their recovery.
She has several years of experience working with diverse client groups in the NHS (National Health Service, UK), international cognitive rehabilitation day care centers, private hospitals, community-based drug and alcohol services, school counseling services, and outpatient therapy institutes — seeing children, adolescents, adults, and older adults facing a wide range of emotional, behavioral, learning, neurological, and personality-related challenges.
Dr. Plessa is further qualified and fully accredited to work as a Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapist, and is a fellow of the Hellenic Institute for Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (RECBT, a Preferred Partner of the Albert Ellis Institute, New York, USA) in Athens, Greece, since 2013.
Education & Credentials
Education
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2020
Professional Doctorate (DPsych), Counselling Psychology
City, University of London, UK
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2014
MSc, Counselling Psychology
City, University of London, UK
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2011
MA, Clinical Psychology
La Salle University, Philadelphia, USA
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2009
BSc, Psychology with Neuroscience
University of Westminster, UK
Licenses & Professional Memberships
- Licensed Psychologist, recognized by the Greek State License No. 688705
- Registered Practitioner Psychologist, Health and Care Professions Council (UK) HCPC Registration No. PYL039710
- Chartered Counselling Psychologist, British Psychological Society BPS / CPsychol No. 239867
- Associate Member, American Psychological Association APA Membership No. 29637509
- Accredited Test User — Occupational Ability & Personality Assessment, British Psychological Society RQTU Membership No. 239867
- Fellow, Hellenic Institute for RECBT (since 2013) Preferred Partner of the Albert Ellis Institute, New York, USA
Areas of Specialization
Specific Topics
Who I Work With
Sessions are offered in face-to-face, Skype, and Zoom formats — in English and Greek.
Approach
Dr. Plessa's working style is warm and collaborative, integrating evidence-based humanistic-existential principles with cognitive-behavioral approaches and attachment-informed theories of personality development and change — adapted to each client's individual needs and the stage of their therapeutic process.
She stays active in her field through continuing professional development, and her research interests include qualitative methods (grounded theory and hermeneutic-phenomenological approaches) applied to existential- and attachment-informed understandings of mental distress, post-traumatic growth, animal-assisted therapy, and the role of social media in intrapersonal and interpersonal functioning.
Book an Appointment
To arrange an appointment with Dr. Plessa, reach out by phone or email.