Luke | Movement Psychotherapy and Humanistic

Registrations

• TCUK - Therapycounselling UK

Specialisations

Hello my name is Luke, I qualified as a Dance Movement Psychotherapy [DMP] in 2015. My licencing body is the UK Association for Humanistic Psychology Practitioners [UKAHPP] which is an organisational member of Professionals Standards Authority [PSA].

Movement Psychotherapy [MP] is a model of work that is somatically informed and as such it engages with the clients body, mind and identity. The aim of MP is to understand that the clients are organic living entities and as such it is more than just the mind which needs to be supported within the psychotherapeutic process to gain a sense of wellness, confidence and to reach their full potential.

In my work I am highly influenced by Kestenberg Movement profiling [KMP], Body Mind Centring [BMC] and Authentic Movement. These are three areas of continuous study which give me a unique way of supporting the nonverbal process within the therapy space, along with understanding how to engage in beliefs and memories held out of conscious awareness, though exist within their bodily held memories. I feel that creating a space to not only explore from the human societal world, but also to support the re-engagement of the mammalian felt sense of the world we inhabit supports my clients to build a stronger sense of what their individual needs are and how to obtain them.

In 2016 I moved into a NHS funded project, firstly in a school-based service which focused on supporting young people and their families with the aim of supporting their struggles in the social demands and those who had experienced historic traumas.

In 2018 I moved over to a specialist trauma service working with clients aged 16+ in a long term capacity. The aim of this was to give a supportive and nurturing environment where, with time, the clients could feel safe enough to explore the historic event(s), and to start to process the memories giving the possibility for them to find some form of freedom from the past.

The other side of my work that also started in 2018 is a short term crisis service that supports refugees and asylum seekers, 18+ that have newly arrived into the UK. This work is a short intervention that offers psychoeducation, solution focused approach and listening ear. This is a first line of support to help the newly arrived refugees have space to understand and at times explore the PTSD symptoms that they are living with from the event(s) in their home county and/or of the process to finding safety.

Psychotherapy

My psychotherapy approach draws from Kestemberg Movement Profile [KMP]. This is a practice that grew out of developmental psychology and focuses on movement qualities, by understanding this theory helps me to be aware of, and when appropriate to acknowledge movements, held tension or soothing actions that are in the therapeutic space. This allows for reflection on the subconscious bodily held processes that the client may not be aware of. I have found in my work this is extremely helpful for clients that are finding difficulties in the daily lives but are not aware of where their difficulties are coming from.

At this time my, continues studies have brought me to Transaction Analysis [TA]. I feel this theory works extremely well alongside my somatic practice as it gives models and theory around human and social engagements. TA also gives approachable language to offer my clients away to explore relational difficulties that they are having or life believes that may have been formed in their childhood relationships. I feel the major strength of this is, if it is in your awareness then we can work towards the changes you wish to have.

Counselling

My counselling approach draws from a person centered theory, I feel that a therapeutic space needs to offer a place where the client can feel safe. In my opinion this is best achieved through building a relationship within the therapeutic space where the therapist freely gives attentive listening, empathy to the client’s position and a non-judgmental view to where the client is.

It is my believe by offering a space like this allows my clients to be able to find their way to opening up to me and explore the areas of concern or difficulty that has led them to find my support. Within this non-judgmental work the client is able to air their thoughts giving space for the phonological process of understanding their difficulties and working towards creating the change they want.

Somatic Practice

My somatic practice started in 2000 where I began with classical dance. Within the movement I found a way to not only express my emotions, but also a place to explore and process my anxiety, frustration and sadness that my cognitive mind did not understand.

As I continued to practice I moved away from the more classical formulated dance forms towards the postmodern exploration of what is dance. It was here that I moved into the question of what is the human experience and what is the mammalian joining to the world we share. My early somatic practice has been influenced by people such as Mary O’Donnell Fulkerson. Where my somatic teaching, choreography and performance was focused on how the full body works, how to optimise movement to support wellbeing or create performances and the mammalian somatic-countertransference, by Penny Lewis.

My practice also draws from Authentic Movement which is a somatic mindfulness practice which gives space to honour what is held in the body and allows time to be explored as such brought into the client’s awareness.

I am also influenced by Body Mind Centering [BMC] which is a practice which helps the therapist to become more in tune with somatic-countertransference’s and offers an understanding of developmental movement patterns. These movement patterns in line with the offer of touch can support exploration of early or subconsciously held traumas and also a gentle practice of supporting recovery from injury, operation or long term medical needs such as arthritis.

Fees

Individuals
£50 for a 50 minute therapy session

Couples
£70 for a 50 minute therapy session

Availability (Opening hours)

Monday	13:00 - 19:00
Tuesday	09:00 - 19:00
Wednesday	09:00 - 15:00
Thursday	09:00 - 19:00
Friday	closed
Saturday	closed
Sunday	closed

Photos

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