About Donna Bowler
UKCP Registered Clinical Psychotherapist in Derby
Integrative, relational psychotherapy in Derby and online across the UK
I am a UKCP Registered Clinical Psychotherapist (Integrative, Relational Developmental) based in Mickleover, Derby. I work with adults in person (in Mickleover, Derby) and online with people across the UK.
I hold an MSc in Integrative Psychotherapy and a Postgraduate Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy from the Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute, Nottingham.
How I work
My training is integrative, although the way I think about people and therapy is relational and developmental - I am interested in how we become who we are through our relationships and experiences, especially the ones we have early in life, and how these can continue to shape the way we feel about ourselves, relate to other people and respond when things become difficult.
The ways we learn to cope often make much more sense when we understand where they came from. Becoming fiercely independent, worrying about rejection, finding closeness difficult, feeling responsible for other people's emotions or repeatedly ending up in familiar relationship patterns often has history.
I am engaged and down to earth. I listen carefully, ask questions and will sometimes share what I am noticing or wondering about. I am interested in what happens in your life outside therapy and also in what begins to happen between us as our relationship develops. Sometimes the therapeutic relationship itself can help us understand patterns that are difficult to see elsewhere.
Relationships, attachment and earlier experiences
I have a particular interest in attachment, shame, relationships and the ways earlier experiences can become embedded in how we understand ourselves. We might become curious about why a particular reaction feels so powerful, why certain relationships affect you more than others or why you can understand something intellectually and still find yourself responding in the same familiar way.
For some people this means exploring experiences from childhood or family relationships. For others, the focus may be on what is happening now: anxiety, relationship difficulties, loss, low self-worth, feeling stuck or simply having a sense that something in life does not feel quite right.
Humour in therapy
Humour has a place in my work too. My MSc research explored how clients experience humour in psychotherapy and deepened my interest in how much humour can communicate. I pay attention to humour as part of the therapeutic relationship, including when it helps us connect, makes something difficult easier to approach or offers some protection from what feels more vulnerable.
Neurodiversity-affirming practice
I work in a neurodiversity-affirming way and have a particular interest in ADHD, autism and neurodivergence. This can include experiences such as masking, rejection sensitivity, overwhelm, burnout and the impact of spending years feeling different, misunderstood or criticised.
I consider neurodivergence within the context of the whole person, including relationships, identity, earlier experiences and the learned ways of adapting to the world. You do not need a formal diagnosis to explore these experiences in therapy.
My experience as a clinical psychotherapist and counsellor
Alongside private practice, I have worked therapeutically across third-sector services and online settings, supporting people with experiences including anxiety, depression, trauma, shame, low self-worth, relationship difficulties and the continuing effects of difficult early relationships.
My training has involved several years of clinical practice, supervision, personal therapy and academic study. Continuing to think about my own responses, assumptions and limitations is an important part of how I practise.
Beginning therapy with me
Starting therapy can feel exposing, even picking up the phone to send an initial text or email may feel daunting.
Before we speak, I want you to know that I am grounded and down to earth, and that carries into how I work. I want therapy with me to feel human and approachable, with no sense that you need to speak a certain way, have the right words or know how to ‘do therapy’. I work with people from very different backgrounds and experiences, and it matters to me that whoever walks through my door feels comfortable, respected and able to be themselves.
In order to help you decide if you would like to book an initial therapy session with me, I offer a FREE initial phone consultation. During the call you can tell me a little about what has brought you to therapy, ask questions about how I work and get some sense of what it might be like for us to work together.
You can find out more about in-person counselling and psychotherapy in Mickleover, Derby or online counselling and psychotherapy across the UK.
Individual therapy: £60 for 50 minutes.