- Client-centred practice
- Somatic approaches
- Trauma focused work
About Isla
Isla Donaldson is a counsellor registered with NCPS with five years' experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, relationship trouble, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem and depression, and she has a particular interest in young adult issues.
Isla centres sessions on the person in front of her. She listens, reflects and helps people name what matters most. Conversations are straightforward and paced to what feels manageable. Practical attention is given to feelings, bodily experience and what people notice in the moment.
Her practice draws on client-centred and existential ideas. That means she focuses on personal meaning, decisions and the quality of the therapeutic relationship. She also uses somatic and trauma-focused methods to help people notice sensations, process strong emotions and work with traumatic memories.
Isla has a first-class BA in Humanistic Counselling Practice and uses her five years of work with adults and young people to inform her approach. She has particular experience supporting people who have experienced sexual assault, self-harm or ongoing post-traumatic stress.
Typical topics she helps with include abandonment, attachment issues, body image, communication problems, guilt and shame, isolation, life purpose and end-of-life concerns. Sessions are conversational and grounded, aiming to build clearer self-understanding and practical ways to manage difficult feelings.
To begin, people are invited to discuss what has brought them to therapy now and what they want to change. Isla will talk through the process, answer questions and agree a pace that feels right for each person.
How her approaches translate to online work
Client-Centred Therapy places the client's experience at the centre of work. Online sessions using this approach focus on listening, reflecting and helping people identify what matters most to them. Existential Therapy looks at meaning, values and choices; online conversations can help people weigh directions in life, especially during big transitions like leaving home or starting a new job.Somatic-informed work pays attention to bodily sensations and how feelings show up in the body. In online sessions this can involve noticing breath, posture and small bodily signals, and using those observations to process emotion and regulate distress. Trauma-Focused ideas guide how memories and strong reactions are approached with care and gradual pacing rather than forced exposure.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Isla treats this as a collaborative process and will discuss different ways of working with the client, their goals and their preferences to decide what to try. That decision can change as therapy progresses and will be reviewed together.
Please confirm the exact session formats before booking because the biography does not list them. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions around study or work, allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight and remove the need to travel. A therapist and client can also agree practical adjustments such as shorter sessions, phone-only check-ins or camera-on conversations to suit daily life and energy levels.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
5+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of issues does she support?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem and depression, plus related concerns such as abandonment, body image and loneliness.
What is her style in sessions?
Sessions are person-centred and conversational. She listens, reflects and works at a pace the client can manage while also attending to bodily experience and emotions.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has five years of professional experience working with adults and young people on a range of issues including trauma, self-harm and grief.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is registered with NCPS and practises in the United Kingdom.
Can I book sessions in other languages or from other countries?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not currently accepting international clients from outside the United Kingdom.
What session formats are available?
Please confirm current session options before booking as the biography does not specify formats.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions are provided via a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I get started with her practice?
Choose the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy through BetterHelp is for adults aged 18 and over and is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Find someone else by name.