Donna Mcallister, BACP
3 years in practice
Donna Mcallister is a counsellor who draws on Emotionally-Focused Therapy alongside other practical approaches to help people manage stress, anxiety and low mood.
License and registration
- BACP
- 404751 · expires October 2026
- Years in practice
- 3
- Languages
- English
Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check the registration with the body that granted it.
About Donna
Donna Mcallister is a counsellor who draws on Emotionally-Focused Therapy alongside other practical approaches to help people manage stress, anxiety and low mood. She practises in the United Kingdom and works with people facing relationship strain, grief, addiction and major life changes. Donna uses plain language and a calm style to make talks feel manageable.
She completed a Bachelor of Arts in Therapeutic Counselling (HONS) and holds BACP registration. Donna has three years of professional experience supporting people who are struggling with burnout, depression and anxiety.
Background and approach
She offers a steady, respectful space to talk things through and to clarify what matters most to each person. In sessions she helps people name feelings, spot unhelpful patterns and try new ways of responding. Techniques come from Emotionally-Focused Therapy, cognitive behavioural ideas and acceptance-focused work, adapted to each person’s needs.
She also draws on attachment-informed perspectives to look at how past relationships shape current reactions. People can expect a collaborative style where the counsellor listens first and suggests gentle experiments next. Short-term practical strategies sit alongside deeper emotional work when needed.
Donna aims to keep things straightforward and realistic so daily life can feel easier to manage. Sessions are offered in English and are available to people in the UK and internationally. She supports a wide range of concerns including self-esteem, intimacy-related issues, parenting stress, ADHD, eating and sleeping problems, and compassion fatigue.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Donna lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Hearing impaired
- HIV / AIDS
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Immigration issues
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Visually impaired
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Donna names
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Existential Therapy
- Imago Relationship Therapy
- Jungian Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.
Online support
How therapeutic approaches translate to online work
Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) helps people identify and express core emotions that drive relationship and personal patterns. Online sessions using EFT focus on slowing down emotional moments, naming feelings and practising new ways of connecting with yourself and others.Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages people to accept difficult thoughts while committing to values-based action. In remote sessions this often means learning short, doable exercises to notice thoughts, choose valued steps and reduce avoidance that gets in the way of daily life.
Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early bonds shape current reactions and expectations. When delivered online it can help people notice recurring patterns and try alternative responses in real time with the counsellor's guidance.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The counsellor will discuss goals and preferences and suggest one or more approaches to try together. This is a collaborative process where methods are adjusted to what feels most helpful.
Online formats offer practical benefits. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when visual cues matter. Phone sessions can be easier if bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to use video. Live chat and text-based messaging suit shorter check-ins or people who find writing easier than speaking. These options make scheduling more flexible and help people fit therapy around work, family and other commitments.
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Questions people ask
What issues can I bring to counselling here?
Donna helps people with stress, anxiety, depression and burnout. Other common topics include relationship difficulties, grief, addiction, self-esteem and life changes.
What is the style of therapy like?
Sessions are collaborative and warm. The focus is on naming emotions, understanding patterns and trying small practical changes between meetings.
What background does the counsellor have?
Donna holds a Bachelor of Arts in Therapeutic Counselling (HONS) and has three years of professional experience working with clients on mood, anxiety and relationship-related concerns.
Where is the counsellor based and how is registration described?
She is based in the United Kingdom and is registered with the BACP as supplied in her credentials.
Are sessions available in other languages or countries?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are accepted.
Which session formats are offered?
Work is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
How are fees handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist arrangements; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with this counsellor?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
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