Counselling Empowerment Day 2024: James Donaldson

Our Counselling Empowerment Day 2024 was created to inspire, empower, and provide valuable insight to qualified, trainee, and aspiring counsellors. The day offered an opportunity to learn about a variety of counselling experiences and skills, and good practices in business and professional development.
In 2003 James trained in talking therapy and social work midway through a 26-year career in the armed forces and would spend the remainder supporting military personnel and their families. In this role he was assigned to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine supporting the recovery of those with battlefield injuries, and would go on to lead a team, providing clinical supervision to military and civilian colleagues. James also developed the training and support structures for military staff tasked with notifying families of loss and injury resulting from war, and became a specialist advisor to the senior chain of command in military welfare matters.
Upon discharge in 2015, James developed a training business offering bespoke psychology-based tools for those working in Higher Education, Elite Sports, Government Services, and the Third sector. This enabled James to gain deeper understanding of the variant means by which psychology and psychotherapy can be delivered to those who need it. The challenges of the Covid pandemic enabled James to migrate to digital delivery, which is now his preferred medium. James opened his private practice in 2021 and provides therapy to a global client base. He has also worked in consultation with the Movie and TV industries, resulting in him appearing on the BBC’s ‘Reunion Hotel’ offering support to those recounting difficult experiences on camera. Moving forward, James continues to develop his own meditation and mindfulness practice, and hopes to find more time to walk in the beautiful Welsh hills with his faithful Staffy, Ruby.