I now integrate a range of different ways of working to help people heal their minds and bodies, all of which I can tell you more about in person: these are informed by theory and research and I incorporate this with my instinct, intuition and lived experience of being a sensitive human in a world which I find to be a complex mix of beauty and challenge. I am humbled by the stories people share with me and the amazing different ways people find to keep going and to keep loving – showing me again and again that to survive is an innately creative experience.
I am passionate about helping families, young people and adults understand their experiences – and I know firsthand how transformational it can be when things can be made sense of, particularly through a trauma and attachment framework, which means really considering what happened to us that made us feel unsafe, and who was there to help make sense of it (or not).
I am particularly interested in working with families impacted by trauma and intergenerational trauma and have a lot of experience working with the special guardians and kinship carers, an area that is close to my heart. I also find myself drawn to working with young people who are autistic (diagnosed or querying it) and their parents, and to people who feel they are ‘other’ or ‘atypical’ in their experience of the world. I have a growing interest in understanding the impact of dissociation as a means to survive and the ways this might show up in the present day for the clients I work with.
In all the stories that are shared with me, I try my best to keep in mind that there can be so much that gets in the way of people being able to live, work and parent in the ways that they would like to be. We are not all on an equal footing and taking into consideration the impact of culture, class, gender, gender roles, race, sexuality, financial security and visible and hidden disabilities, is an essential part of this job for me. Many people who come to sit opposite me have also been let down or even traumatised by under resourced or challenging systems, so working to build trust is the most important place to begin our time together.
I am proud to have deep and long-standing relationships with the children, young people, parents and adults I work with. I am also proud to work alongside my colleagues at Beacon House, who all share a deep level of care for those we support. None of us can do this work alone, and I believe it is through connection and community we stand the best chance of thriving.
When I am not at work, I aim to practice what I preach by doing things that keep my own mind balanced – connecting with my loved ones, getting out in nature, eating nice things and moving my body.
Louise is registered with HCPC as a Dramatherapist – her membership number is AS16809.