Julie Luscombe Trauma Informed Psychotherapist and EMDR Practitioner

THERAPY, COUNSELLOR, PSYCHOTHERAPIST, EMDR

My journey towards hope

Hi, my name is Julie

I am an Integrative Counsellor. Being integrative means I draw on a range of psychological theories and techniques to offer a bespoke therapeutic approach to match my client’s needs. Underpinning all my work is a focus on the client/therapist relationship; I offer empathy, non-judgement and the understanding that my clients must work at their own, manageable pace.

I am passionate about offering hope to adults who are struggling with mental health challenges and often with trauma.

Trauma is defined by the Oxford Languages Dictionary as:

“ a deeply distressing or disturbing experience”

We all have our own stories to tell but I often find that so many of my clients have been exposed to trauma in some form. Understanding trauma-related symptoms goes hand in hand with providing a therapeutic space to process the pain of past experiences. My aim is to empower clients; I offer hope, a place to grow, and a supportive, trusting relationship to motivate change.

I have extensive experience working with a wide range of psychological symptoms including anxiety, depression, anger, self-harm, suicidal ideation, loss and bereavement (for a full list of the areas I cover, please visit my Who I Work With page). I am also a specialist in the field of abuse and work rigorously alongside men and women who have been abused as children and adults.

Perhaps the Universe was guiding me but, when I later set up a private practice, I was determined to continue supporting people whose lives had been impacted by abuse. I understand the need to retrieve some sense of security – to be able to find a strong footing on otherwise shaky ground.

In addition to my therapeutic work, I offer professional advice and support on PTSD. I have developed a training program to teach others about the impacts of PTSD; particularly geared towards helping front-line workers understand the risks associated with their industry. I have presented extensively in this area highlighting key risks, symptoms, and subsequent coping strategies in hospitals, the Police and doctors’ surgeries. 

I work with the Victims First Specialist Counselling Service to provide therapeutic interventions to victims of crime across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

To help you decide if I am the right person to help you, I offer an initial 50-minute session so you can meet me and ask any questions. We will then decide what your goals are and how we can move forward together.

EMDR Therapy

As a specialist in trauma, it seemed logical to me to explore EMDR therapy in more detail. Over the last few years, prevalence has grown rapidly in therapeutic circles.

Research showed positive results in a short space of time but, most importantly for me, it was heralded as successful for clients presenting with debilitating symptoms associated with trauma. So, I began to explore. Below I share some of my knowledge with you. My aim is to inform and, above all, to share hope. 

How is it different to traditional therapy?

Psychologists and mental health professionals are united in the understanding that it is the relationship between client and counsellor that facilitates healing. Trust between client and therapist, the connection within the relationship; both are paramount and embarking on any type of therapy requires faith.

There is no doubt in my mind that over time, traditional therapies allow the natural healing process to occur. Some clients take months, even years, to allow me even a glimpse of their inner world and that is ok, that is therapy. 

Because I knew this, when I began researching EMDR, I wondered if my clients would trust me to probe such tender memories so directly. What I found was that EMDR doesn’t negate the need for a strong therapeutic relationship, nor does it replace traditional therapies, it works alongside them. Sometimes our internal wounds are so great, so deep, that surviving our symptoms is all we can manage. I often tell my clients that EMDR is like disentangling the intolerable anchor from their bodies so they can gasp at the surface once more – they might have some way to go to make it to shore but at least they can swim again. 

So where did it all begin?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Developed in the late 1980’s by psychologist Francine Shapiro, it uses rapid eye movement alongside cognition to allow the brain to process traumatic memories coherently.

Shapiro was intrigued to discover that moving her eyes rapidly from left to right significantly reduced distressing emotion attached to her own childhood memories (Shapiro,1989). Although alone moving the eyes was not conducive to healing, alongside other cognitive interventions, Shapiro noted a stark reduction in anxiety among clients. She went on to establish EMDR as a therapy.

So how does it work?

Many of our memories are stored in our brain’s cortex and largely associated with language. Trauma, however, can unbalance the brain’s natural way of processing information effectively. Tightly packaged away in the limbic system, trauma memories are stored as emotion and often triggered by events that remind us of the past. Feelings of anxiety, anger and panic become sadly commonplace as our brain is reminded of painful events and memories that have yet to be processed (EMDR Institute,2020).

EMDR works to restore the balance, encouraging our brains to store the memories more effectively in the cortex, allowing the mind to begin healing naturally.

What can I expect from a session?

Before we start any treatment, we will confirm which memory you’d like to process. There might be multiple memories and that’s ok too. During a session, I will ask you to recall an experience and question you about associated thoughts and feelings. As we talk, I will encourage you to move your eyes from left to right rapidly in short bursts, regular intervals in between bursts allow us to discuss thoughts and sensations before moving on. We are aiming to store these painful memories alongside more natural memories, not tangled up with distressing emotion. 

How many sessions are needed?

I usually offer between 10-18 sessions per client but everyone is different; some people may require longer intervention and effective grounding can form part of the early sessions. Although EMDR can be intense, it is also very targeted and can produce positive results in a short space of time.  

Is it right for me?

EMDR is used to treat a wide variety of trauma-related symptoms, including PTSD, panic attacks, anxiety and depression. However, it is also highly effective in treating a range of other symptoms synonymous with emotional distress. I work alongside clients struggling with phobias, OCD, addiction, intense anger, grief and trust issues. Some clients are struggling to manage daily lives due to profound fears – a fear of flying for example. Perhaps some of these complex behaviours have their roots in early trauma, but a lot of my clients do not directly attribute their presenting issues to a particular traumatic event.

Resurrecting painful memories is never easy. Like all therapy, EMDR requires courage. I believe making that commitment to healing is the first step. If you are suffering with any of the above symptoms because of trauma, or other psychological distress, I hope this article reaches out to you with hope. 

Please contact me to discuss EMDR in more detail. It might also be helpful to watch this short animation or visit the EMDR Association website. Together we can decide if this is the right approach for you and put a plan in place to move forward. 

Please contact me on luscombejulie6@gmail.com to discuss. 

The history of EMDR (n.d), https://emdr.com/history-of-emdr/ (Accessed 21/06/2023)

What is EMDR )n.d) https://emdr.com/what-is-emdr/ (Accessed 20/06/2023)

Please contact me to book an initial consultation.

Email: luscombejulie6@gmail.com 

Tel: 07703850840

https://www.julieluscombecounselling.com