- Stress and anxiety
- Somatic and trauma focus
- Relationship difficulties
About Isla
Isla Donaldson is an NCPS counsellor practising in the United Kingdom with five years' experience. She works with adults and young people on stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem and depression, and also supports people exploring life purpose. Isla describes therapy as a place to focus on what matters most right now and to process difficult experiences together.
Her approach is person-centred and relational. Sessions are shaped by the client's immediate experience and by building a trusting working relationship. She uses somatic and trauma-informed ways of working, paying attention to bodily sensations as part of understanding emotion and memory.
Isla draws on existential ideas about meaning and choice when people feel empty or directionless. She also works with attachment and communication concerns, issues around guilt and shame, and the effects of sexual assault and abuse. Practical topics she addresses include body image, self-harm, isolation, and hospice and end-of-life concerns.
She has a first-class BA in Humanistic Counselling Practice and lists additional training in somatics, polyvagal theory, integrative somatic trauma therapy, systemic trauma, Internal Family Systems, attachment theory, sex and sexuality, boundaries and consent, safeguarding, applied suicide intervention and online therapy. Her background includes direct work with people who have experienced trauma and those struggling with suicidal ideation.
Sessions are offered in English and the practice does not take international clients. Isla asks prospective clients to use the online matching questionnaire and booking process to arrange a first session and to select the See online therapy options button to begin.
How Isla uses therapeutic approaches online
Client-Centred Therapy focuses on the therapeutic relationship and on listening without judgment. It helps people who feel unsure about their direction by making their own priorities the basis of the work. Existential Therapy looks at meaning, choice and responsibility when life changes leave someone feeling lost or empty. It can help clarify values and next steps without promising specific outcomes.Somatic Therapy attends to bodily sensations as a way of understanding emotion and memory. It can be useful for people who notice tension, anxiety or disconnectedness in the body and want practical ways to work with those sensations. Trauma-Focused elements concentrate on processing past harm in ways that aim to reduce its ongoing impact on daily life.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the process. The therapist will work collaboratively to identify what fits the client's needs, goals and preferences. That choice is reviewed as work progresses so the plan can change if something else seems more helpful.
Confirm the exact session formats before booking, as the biography does not list specific online options. In general, online work can make it easier to fit appointments around work and family life, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Some formats require less bandwidth or do not use video, which can suit people who prefer a quieter setup or a brief phone-style conversation.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
5+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem and depression. She also supports people exploring life purpose and feelings of emptiness.
How does she approach feeling stuck or directionless?
Her work is person-centred and relational, using existential ideas to look at meaning and choice. She also pays attention to bodily sensations through somatic work to ground emotions.
How much experience does she have?
She has five years' experience working with adults and young people on issues including trauma, grief, self-harm and suicidal ideation.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is registered with NCPS and practises in the United Kingdom.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the UK work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions paid for?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I start working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session through the booking process.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.