Donna’s purpose in life was revealed to her when,  at the age of 15, she became severely ill with SLE affecting both her physical and mental health and resulting in a protracted period of repeated hospitalisations.

The medical profession painted a bleak picture of her prognosis in the 1980s, so she decided if she could not sway them from the  fixed mind set that the  diagnostic label was the end point rather than the start point  then   she better  get well and  join them, influencing quietly from within rather than  battling  from without.

After a somewhat bumpy ride she  qualified in 1996 from the UK’s Leicester Medical school and  decided on a career in General Practice, undertaking  vocational training  including: rotations in psychiatry, palliative medicine,  obstetrics, paediatrics, immunology, gastroenterology and rheumatology.  She entered a GP partnership in 2001 and remained there for the next 20 years ultimately, becoming senior partner; CQC registered manager and safeguarding lead.  She now provides clinical medical support to a team of specialist therapists and psychologists  within the NHS in  the  Department of Physical Health Psychology and 1:1  in-person  private consultations to patients  who are seeking to optimise their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

In 2006 she embarked on  a Masters Degree in Sport and Exercise Medicine at the University of Nottingham knowing that one of the main pillars of health, including in her own healing journey was physical movement. She was awarded a distinction for her research on perceived and real barriers to physical activity  which was conducted across 3 large general practice populations.   This amongst other lifestyle strategies features highly in her work with patients.

She continued rethinking ‘the book of medicine’ identifying gaps in her knowledge,  under the  careful guidance of her best teachers, her patients.  This resulted in undertaking training in  root-cause  medicine with the Institute of Functional Medicine in the USA and in qualifying  as a HeartMath® coach and clinician.  She also received  training in advanced meditative practice.  She takes a collaborative approach with her patients utilising both parties lived experience  and considers that  wisdom and intuition  are important adjuncts to conventional evidence based strategies.  She truly believes that healing is innate and that symptoms are simply the mindbody’s way of communicating imbalances. 
She cares deeply about connecting with patients beyond their symptoms and diagnosis and supports ways in which they can reach their full potential.  This  has commonly opened up  conversations about love and spirituality - subject matter historically considered to be taboo in conventional medicine but  very well received by her patients.