Dr Louise McDonnell

Face to face and online appointments can be booked today via the webpage.

I am a Chartered Consultant Counselling Psychologist based in central Durham (DH1), I offer face to face or online appointments.

Who we are is never fixed. Life asks us to become someone new again and again: when we leave home for university, when a relationship ends, when children grow up and move on, when illness changes what our bodies can do, when menopause arrives, or when a late diagnosis makes us look back at our whole story in a new light. These transitions can be exciting, unsettling, painful, or all of these at once. They often stir up older experiences too, and I have a particular interest in helping people make sense of who they are becoming.

I am a specialist trauma-focused therapist, working with both adults and children. My training includes EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing), trauma-focused CBT and somatic interventions. Trauma can shape how we see ourselves in ways we may not even notice, and these approaches allow me to work gently and effectively with it, including trauma held in the body and early or pre-verbal experiences that are hard to put into words.

I believe healing involves both mind and body. To deepen this part of my practice, I am currently training as a yoga teacher. This is expanding my understanding of how the body carries stress and change, and it means I can offer practical strategies for the physical symptoms that so often accompany emotional distress and life transitions.

Understanding trauma and ADHD

For many adults, an ADHD diagnosis later in life brings relief, grief and a whole new way of understanding themselves. Because the effects of early trauma and the presentation of ADHD can overlap so closely, I have completed additional training in ADHD, including assessment. My aim is to understand the whole picture: whether what you are experiencing reflects neurodivergence, trauma, or a combination of both. That clarity can be the beginning of a kinder, more accurate story about who you are. I offer ADHD assessments. Details of pricing and how the assessment is structured are available on request.

Who I work with

Trauma is my specialism, but I welcome clients with a wide range of mental health difficulties. Whether you are navigating a big change, revisiting your past, or simply feeling you’ve lost touch with yourself, I will work alongside you at a pace that feels safe and manageable.

If you would like to find out more, or to arrange an initial conversation, I would be glad to hear from you.

Keeping you safe; my governing bodies are The Health and Care Professions Council and The British Psychological Society. I undergo at least 40 hours of additional training each year and my clinical work is supervised by Dr Janice Brydon. I have an up to date Enhanced DBS and I am registered with The Information Commissioner's Office.

To view and book appointments available this week please follow this link;

https://www.talkdurham.co.uk/

Neurodiversity - described by The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service as "the different ways the brain can work and interpret information. It highlights that people naturally think about things differently due to different ways of processing information". Neurodivergence includes Attention Deficit Disorders, Autism, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia.

Please see website for full information 

Therapy -  week days £90, Saturday & Sunday £100

Appointments available to book now for week www.talkdurham.co.uk

If you would like your appointments to be covered by your insurance please contact your provider to confirm their criteria. Please note fees for insurance work are variable and set by the insurance company, they may involve an excess to be paid dependant on your policy.

Early morning, evening & Sunday appointments available.

Insurance work undertaken.

I keep initial assessment appointment spaces available every week. Payment is taken at the point of booking.