About me
Hello
Thank you so much for arriving on my profile page :-)
My name is Donna, and I am a BACP Accredited Counsellor / Psychotherapist. I have over 10 years' experience as a Counsellor and I have spent the past six years working in my own private practice called Through the Trees Counselling.
I work with adults and young people aged 14 years and over experiencing anxiety, depression, abuse, intrusive/negative thoughts, loneliness, anger, overwhelming feelings, family and relationship problems, bullying, peer pressure, self-esteem, self-harm, addiction - drug use gambling & alcohol dependency, work related issues, guilt, men's mental health, phobias, stress, confidence building, bereavement and past & present trauma.
I honestly love what I do. Why? because every client who walks through my door has their own story and I never take for granted the trust they are placing with me.
Clients usually start feeling general improvements after 3 - 6 sessions. Consistency is key at the beginning of therapy. I understand that not everyone is able to commit to weekly sessions, either due to financial reasons or just general life commitments however, even with fortnightly sessions, clients can reap the benefits. We will be able to discuss this in more detail during your free initial call.
I am under no illusion at all that it takes a great deal of courage and guts to ask for help at times in our lives and this is why you are probably here. I know first-hand what it feels like to ask for help as at one stage in my life I also had to reach out. I remember feeling very nervous about making the call, not knowing where to start or what to say. I remember walking into my first session and saying 'I really don't know where to start'. Looking back now and being a counsellor myself, I realise that first therapy session was one of the best decisions I had ever made and that's why I am such a huge advocate for therapy.
Sometimes you just need someone, not family, not friends, to just listen and walk alongside you, so they can feel what it is really like to walk in your shoes.
Each one of us experiences a different journey in life. It is not always easy reaching out to someone you know or even love, even our closest are sometimes unable to help us, not because they do not care, it is just because they do not know how.
This is where I can help.
My counselling style
When you are sitting with me, there is no pressure to know what to say or where to begin. Some clients arrive with a very clear idea of what is wrong, whilst others just know that they do not feel themselves anymore. Both are completely okay. We will work it out together.
My aim is always to offer a warm, compassionate and non-judgemental space where you can talk openly at your own pace.
No two people are the same, so I don't believe counselling should be either. I work as an integrative counsellor, which means I can draw on different therapeutic approaches to suit you as an individual rather than expecting you to fit one particular model.
Clients often will say to me 'I feel a little lighter', or 'I am feeling stronger in myself' or 'I feel i'm starting to like myself more' or sometimes clients will say 'something has changed i'm just not sure what'. Often the changes are subtle. You may simply notice that you are thinking differently and beginning to understand yourself in a way that you had not before. Therapy is a process, and meaningful change often happens one conversation at a time.
My role is to understand your world from your perspective, without judgement, and to support you in finding a way forward that feels right for you.
If what you have read resonates with you a little, I would love to hear from you.
Donna 😊
Training, qualifications & experience
- Mental Health First Aider 2026
- BACP Accredited Counsellor 2026
- Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling CPCAB
- Level 3 Diploma in Counselling Skills CPCAB
- Level 2 Cert in Counselling Skills NCFE
- Level 2 Cert in Awareness of Mental Health Problems NCFE
- Redbridge Befriending Project - Redbridge Concern for Mental Health
- Co Production in Health & Social Care - London Borough of Redbridge
Continuing professional development CPD
- Mental Health First Aid Training
- Mental Health Awareness
- Safeguarding Adults
- Drugs & Alcohol Addiction
- Safeguarding Children
- Anxiety & Depression
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder
- Autism Awareness
- Diabetes Awareness
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorders
- Self Harm
- Panic Attacks
- Schizophrenia
- Personality Disorders
- Bipolar Disorder
- Post Traumatic stress disorder
- Mindfulness
- Eating disorders
- Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences
- Working with trauma
- Childhood Sexual Abuse
- Ongoing personal counselling
Work Experience - Volunteer Counsellor
Volunteer Counsellor - Drugs & Alcohol Charity - The Westminster Drug Project 2019 to 2021
Volunteer Counsellor - Mental Health Charity - Positive Tools 4 Life 2018 - 2020
Imagine Mental Health - Mental Health Recovery/Service User Leader 2014 - present
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£65.00 - £75.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Get in touch to arrange your free telephone consultation (20 mins).
My Fees:
£75 for a face to face appointment 50 mins (Extended sessions are available upon request)
£65 via Zoom, or by telephone 50 mins (Extended sessions are available upon request)
Discounted fees for people on low income & student counsellors
£50 for face to face appointments 50 mins
£40 for online zoom or telephone
Payments are requested to be made 48hrs before each scheduled appointment to secure your slot.
Cancellation Policy
I totally understand that cancellations cannot be avoided at times. However, I would appreciate if I could be notified either by email or via text at least 24hrs before your scheduled session if you are unable to make your appointment. If notified of cancellation within the 24hr period a full refund will be given or transferred to your next session, whatever is best for you.
If, unfortunately, I do not receive notification of cancellation within due time, the full amount will be required to be paid in full due to another person being able to fill that space.
I understand at the same time every situation is different and I am aware that emergencies come up which cannot be avoided, so always willing to discuss. I am also human :-).
Thankyou for your understanding.
Donna :-)
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning | |||||||
| Morning | |||||||
| Early afternoon | |||||||
| Late afternoon | |||||||
| Evening |
Further information
A little about me and why I do what I do
Apart from running my own practice, I have been working for a Mental Health Charity as a Recovery Worker/Service User Lead for over 12 years. I support people who are struggling with their mental health to live as independent life as is possible for them. My role is all about social inclusion. I am experienced working with clients who are experiencing a range of mental health difficulties from mild to acute.
I have been lucky enough to have had a vast range of experience in many different fields of work throughout my life, but hand on heart, nothing gave me more satisfaction than when I started working as a volunteer for few hours a week for a local mental health charity in 2014.
I had always known that I wanted to help people, but for many years I didn’t know what that would look like. Then an opportunity came along to volunteer with a mental health charity, and I decided to take it. I was given the opportunity to support a young girl who had become very isolated after experiencing bullying. Over time, she had stopped socialising, neglected herself and was carrying a lot of anger. That experience stayed with me. It showed me how much can be going on beneath the surface of what we see, and how important it can be for someone to have a person who will listen without judgement. It was the beginning of a journey that eventually led me to become a counsellor.
The voluntary role was so rewarding to me personally it changed my path in life! It was the best decision I made in my life, and I have never looked back. I then decided I wanted to work in the mental health field. I have now been working at a mental health charity for over 12 years as a Service User Lead and I run my own private counselling practice alongside my part time work there.
On reflection, the voluntary role planted the seed for me to study to become a counsellor. It was a challenging 4 years of study for me together with personal development, which was not an easy journey by no means, but so totally worth it!
I feel proud to work in both these lines of work and to be able to help so many wonderful people. I feel most privileged to be the person that clients feel at ease that they can tell their story, no matter how scary it may be for them.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my own story.
Donna: -)
