My name is Isabella Mackinnon, and I am a psychodynamic psychotherapist registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I hold two Master’s degrees from the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust: the first in Perinatal, Child, Adolescent and Family Work, and the second in Psychological Therapies with Children, Young People and Families.

Before beginning my clinical training, I spent eight years working in early-years settings. While this is no longer the main focus of my professional identity, it gave me a deep appreciation for how a child’s mind develops, how emotional patterns are formed, how relationships are understood, and how the foundations for the handling of feelings begin to take shape.

My therapeutic approach is rooted in the psychodynamic tradition, which helps us understand how our emotional foundations develop and how past and present experiences shape the ways we relate, cope, and experience ourselves today. Psychodynamic psychotherapy focuses on these deeper patterns, offering insight into the feelings and behaviours that may feel confusing or difficult to manage. For children and young people, this approach provides a safe space to explore emotions that may be hard to express in words. It helps them make sense of their inner world and develop healthier ways of coping. By bringing underlying patterns into awareness, psychodynamic psychotherapy fosters emotional growth, resilience, and lasting, meaningful change.

I offer a reflective, warm, and non-judgmental space where children, adolescents, parents and caregivers can explore their experiences at a pace that feels safe and grounded with the aim of helping them to cope better with the challenges and stresses of everyday life.

Ages I See In Therapy:

• Children and Adolescents (Ages 5 to 18)

• Parents and Caregivers