Isla Donaldson

Isla Donaldson is a counsellor who helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, trauma and low self-esteem. She works with clients who are dealing with depression, grief and bereavement, and people weighing up meaning and purpose in life. Isla aims to create a steady, compassionate space where people can begin to feel more grounded and clear about their next steps.

She uses a person-centred way of working that keeps the client’s own needs and experience at the heart of sessions. That means the pace and focus come from what matters most to the individual. Isla combines this with somatic and trauma-focused methods that pay attention to bodily sensations as a way of understanding feelings and memories.

In practice she listens closely, offers calm presence, and will both support and challenge when needed. Sessions are aimed at building self-awareness, self-acceptance and a stronger sense of trust in oneself. Over time this can help people manage triggers, reduce overwhelm and make clearer choices in relationships and daily life.

Isla has five years of experience and holds NCPS. Her background includes work with adults and young people on issues such as self-harm, post-traumatic stress, sexual assault and abuse, and hospice and end-of-life counselling. She has additional study in somatics, polyvagal theory, attachment and related trauma work.

To begin she invites people to talk about what brought them to therapy and what they hope will change. Isla aims to be practical and down-to-earth while offering a thoughtful, relational way of working.

How Isla’s approaches translate to online counselling

Isla combines a person-centred emphasis with somatic and trauma-focused ways of working. Client-Centred Therapy focuses on the person’s own goals and experience, helping them uncover what matters and guiding the pace of work. Somatic Therapy pays attention to bodily sensations and movement as tools to process emotion and to notice how stress shows up in the body. Trauma-Focused Therapy concentrates on safe ways to process traumatic memories and reactions, and on building skills to manage strong emotions and triggers.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Isla will collaborate with each person to decide which methods feel most helpful. That conversation looks at current needs, goals and preferences, and the approach can be adjusted as therapy progresses.

If you are considering online therapy, please confirm the available session options before booking as formats are not listed here. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter or longer check-ins when needed. They also allow people to join from a familiar setting, which can make it simpler to practise grounding or body-based exercises that are part of somatic and trauma-focused work. Registered or accredited professionals can help you weigh these practical benefits when arranging sessions.