It’s with a very heavy heart that we write this memorial. Maria Hackett, also known as Maria Albertsen, died on the 20th of November 2024. She was a deeply loved and loving mother of three, with a close family around her. Maria was a long-time Fellow of the NCPS, but more than that she was a tour de force, an activist, a revolutionary: a catalyst.
Maria, through her persistence, her passion, and her unyielding, unwavering commitment to justice and equality, shaped the trajectory of the Society more than she may have known. That’s not to say we were shy about sharing the impact of her work with her; in fact, over the years we’ve been sure to give her credit for the changes she wrought, both publicly and privately. For some of us, she wasn’t just a colleague but a friend; long conversations through the depths of Covid lockdowns and beyond forged that friendship, which was grounded in honesty and understanding.
Her achievements were numerous, but the one she is likely best known for is Counsellors Together UK (CTUK) – a campaign group she founded and tirelessly ran for and with counsellors that has grown to over 10,000 members. She was so tuned into the issues facing a significant number of counsellors; issues around money, including low pay (with many counsellors living in poverty), the expectation of volunteering, and the financial and emotional cost of running your own small business in a helping profession. She was proud of her working-class status, and saw through and called out class-based hierarchies where she saw them. People saw her brilliance and drew to her in droves, with CTUK growing rapidly over the years. It was often the forefront of thinking around the culture of counselling, and we always were grateful for the insights that Maria shared. She challenged us to be better, and told us firmly but fairly when we weren’t.
And she didn’t just talk about things: she made changes. She was successful in her lobbying, alongside other members of CTUK, and saw significant movement in policies across the profession around unpaid work. Her common sense and incisiveness demonstrated to everyone that the long-standing yet controversial practice needed to end.
She was ever the voice of sanity and fairness, and communicated with organisations and the people within them with respect and integrity on behalf of thousands of counsellors and psychotherapists. In debates she was confident, intelligent, and reasonable, but she wouldn’t give ground where it mattered. Those who knew her held Maria in high regard for her honesty, integrity, and passion.
She set up National Counsellors Day, which we celebrate every year, and the conference to celebrate it was the home of progressive, challenging conversations about counselling and the therapy world. She was an intersectional feminist, and regularly gave her voice and platform to people to talk about oppression, race, disability, class, and many other vital topics. A conference put together by Maria would be challenging, at times uncomfortable, but always so rewarding and educational. You came away from her conferences with a buzzing brain and a heart full of excitement.
Maria loved to walk on the beaches near her home, and you would often find her at the water’s edge sorting through her thoughts. Every now and then she’d share a beautiful sunset photo, or a windswept seafront shrouded in drizzle; it didn’t matter the weather, she’d be out there breathing it in.
Maria was a practical, creative person; someone who liked to do new things, and see progress, and make a difference. She set up retreats for counsellors who needed some time and self-care, and created beautiful pockets of deep, meaningful connection through the retreats she ran. More than that, these retreats were fully funded, which meant that they were open to counsellors who wouldn’t be able to afford to do something like that on their own – a core principle of Maria’s was lifting up others wherever she could. She also ran creative co-working sessions, mentoring, and numerous other helpful and well-received events and services for therapists. She changed lives, both in a broader sense but also in an immediate, tangible sense, and it’s so rare that you’ll find someone that can, and wants to, do that.
One of the things we will hold in our hearts about Maria is how she would talk about love in therapy; that said so much to us about who she was as both a person and a counsellor. You can see it in how much she gave to the profession; a singular figure in our world that possessed both the insight to see what was wrong, and the bravery and passion to do something about it, but with the love underpinning all that to do it with thought, and care, and compassion.
On a very personal level, the team at the Society are grieving this loss deeply, and will be working to honour her legacy in a way that she would be proud of. We had plans for many things, thinking we’d get to them one day. We’ll see them through and think of her as we go. May the impact of her tireless work continue to light the way for us all.
From former Chair, Dr Chris Forester
I am very grateful to have known Maria and to have had many conversations with her when I was Society Chair.
Maria was a truly kind hearted person who understood that counselling was, first and foremost, a vocation. Yet she was the loudest voice of all in telling us that just because we love counselling, we shouldn’t be taken for granted. In every conversation we had, often drilling down into the minutiae of issues like ScOPEd, pay and conditions, regulation, membership organisations and all the rest, she was fair minded and honest. Running any online group can be extremely challenging and we all know the toxicity of the internet, but Maria always held fast to her core values and approached her responsibility for CTUK with honesty and integrity. As her voice grew in the profession, she never lost sight of the humanity of those who disagreed with her. She wanted to bring you with her, and if that was not possible, to respectfully disagree.
When I retired as Chair, Maria took the time to write a thank you which she published on CTUK. I was very touched by this – it wasn’t expected – and it really demonstrated to me her thoughtful and caring nature.
I personally very much enjoyed our conversations. Maria was impactful on the NCPS, and impactful on the wider profession. She leaves a legacy behind, and she has been instrumental in changing counselling for the better. I will miss her.
