About Lou
My path has taken me away from, through, and beyond trauma, marked by many setbacks, gains in resilience, and ultimately, thankfully, profound transformation.
Through my healing and learning, I’ve discovered what works, what doesn’t, and how much better life can be when we heal deeply and effectively. I’ve seen firsthand how dysregulation and limiting beliefs keep us trapped in cycles of pain, impacting our self-worth, self-belief and limiting our potential.
Guiding others toward wholeness and freedom isn’t just my passion—it’s my calling. I hope you will join me on any of The Voyage® offerings so together we can help create a kinder, more empowered, and trauma-free life for ourselves and others.
What drives me
After nearly 25 years in mental health, one thing is clear: trauma is everywhere—it does not discriminate by social status, geography, or age. It shapes lives in ways many fail to recognise.
Yet, a glaring gap exists between the treatment available, who can access it, and what is truly needed for meaningful change. Public health services are overstretched, leaving many without care, while untreated trauma continues to impact employment, relationships, and society at large, creating far greater long-term costs.
A Call for Change
We recognise the shortages of care. Governments need to do more. The healthcare system needs to do more. We need to do more.
Every day, I meet individuals struggling with PTSD, complex PTSD, and other trauma-related conditions, yet they lack access to the quality care they need and deserve.
With my clinical background and personal lived experience, I feel I am positioned to make an impact. My mission has started with coaches, counsellors, and policymakers, but it is not stopping there. Mental health and trauma related care has been in the shadows for too long.
Together, we can change this.
Career versions
and character galvanising excursions
My Journey: From Addiction Treatment to Trauma Healing
My professional journey has been one of deep exploration, weaving through diverse experiences that have shaped my expertise, faith, and tenacity.
With well over two decades in mental health, including ten years at The Priory Psychiatric Hospital in London, I’ve dedicated my career to helping those struggling with addiction, eating disorders, PTSR, and trauma.
During my time at The Priory, I noticed a striking pattern—many of my patients had dual diagnoses, often presenting with PTSR, anxiety, psychosis, and eating disorders. Mental health is rarely straightforward, and it became clear that the true driver behind these struggles was almost always trauma—a term that, at the time, was barely acknowledged.
This realisation led me to private practice in Central London, where for another ten years, I focused on treating trauma as the root cause, rather than a secondary symptom. The freedom of running my own practice allowed me to explore cutting-edge therapeutic approaches, including Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), ensuring I could provide the most effective, compassionate, and trauma-responsive care.
From Self-Explorer to Guide
Through my work, I’ve witnessed firsthand what truly fosters healing—and just as importantly, what doesn’t. This experience has allowed me to create safe, courageous spaces where my clients can show up as their authentic selves without fear of judgment.
I have dedicated my life to honouring and celebrating deep, lasting transformation, integrating cutting-edge techniques that truly make a difference. My own path—from self-exploration to guiding others—has been shaped by the wisdom gained through lived experience and professional expertise.
I understand the profound challenges that unresolved trauma can create, often forming limiting beliefs in childhood or adolescence that continue to hold people back. I have seen the power of releasing old wounds, dissolving these barriers, and unlocking true potential.
My journey through mental health struggles, addiction, and childhood trauma has deeply informed my understanding—and ultimately, my creation of a revolutionary treatment approach designed to help others leave behind limitations and step into their full selves.
In another life:
Getting from there to here
The Journey to Finding Myself
It’s often said that you don’t truly know yourself until your forties—and in my case, that couldn’t be more true. My life has been a series of reinventions, a search for authenticity and purpose, shaped by both spiritual exploration and real-world setbacks.
I’ve walked many paths—fashion, media, mental health, and rehabilitation—each shaping me in ways I never expected. Originally, I aspired to be an actress, training in drama school, but family circumstances led me toward a more "stable" career path. Still drawn to excitement, I found myself in the fast-paced world of fashion, working alongside some of the industry’s biggest names.
Then, a pivotal moment changed everything. While at a fashion show, my drink was spiked, an incident that set off a chain reaction. I was eventually sectioned in a psychiatric hospital, heavily medicated, and professionally diagnosed. But through that experience, something inside me awakened—an insatiable curiosity about the mind and a deep need to understand what had happened to mine during that crisis.
Excavating the Past & Finding Purpose
What began as a voyage of self-discovery soon became a deep excavation—unearthing long-buried memories and the unconscious patterns that kept them suppressed.
At first, I turned to self-help and personal development, eager to understand the mind as the control room for human functioning. This journey was profoundly enlightening and transformative, leading me toward another career shift—this time, in the media world.
I joined Capital Radio’s Marketing & Events team, collaborating with Tony Blackburn, Kenny Everett, and Chris Tarrant, before moving on to help launch Heart 106.2 FM in London. A change of heart and family circumstances forced an unexpected hiatus, leading me to the mountains of Umbria to support my mother and help rehabilitate my alcoholic stepfather.
From Personal Experience to Professional Calling
Supporting my family through addiction and recovery—ignited a profound shift in my path. Determined to make a real impact, I retrained as an addiction therapist, diving deep into the complexities of trauma, substance use, and mental health while healing my very personal addictive processes as well.
This eventually led to a pivotal opportunity: a position at the world-renowned Priory Hospital in London, where I had the privilege of working with individuals navigating addiction and complex trauma, shaping the foundations of my future work
East meets West:
Spiritual Philosophies underpinned by clinical training and know-how
Expanding Expertise: Clinical Training & Spiritual Growth
Over the next decade, I deepened my clinical expertise, complementing my addiction training with an Advanced Diploma in Contemporary Psychotherapy. Eager to expand my understanding, I pursued specialised training in eating disorders, trauma therapy, EMDR, and EFT, continuously refining my approach to healing.
Alongside my clinical work, I embarked on a spiritual journey, attending silent meditation retreats, including a ten-day Vipassana retreat with SN Goenka. This led to an extended sabbatical in India, where I explored Ayurveda, ashrams, and met Amma, the hugging saint.
My path also took me to Portugal, where I studied with the spiritual guru Mooji and I delved into Reiki, mindfulness, and Eastern wisdom traditions—an ongoing journey that continues to shape my holistic approach to trauma recovery even now.
Reclaiming Authenticity & Purpose
This multifaceted journey was about more than just learning—it was a substantial unraveling of old narratives, a processing of deep-rooted emotions, and, ultimately, a return to my authentic voice and true self.
My desire to heal, grow, and help others was relentless, and it paid off. My nervous system found equilibrium, and so did I.
By confronting my deepest fears and aligning my actions with my beliefs, I uncovered my dharma—my true calling. Now, through The Voyage®, I am committed to sharing these transformative lessons with as many people as possible.
Diagnosis, dharma and a deeper understanding:
A message from Lou
Embracing My Purpose: From Trauma to Transformation
My early years were shaped by trauma and addiction, culminating in my psychotic episode at 24 yrs —the meaning of which only became clear through deep self-exploration. These experiences reinforced shame, unworthiness, and a sense of not belonging, emotions that followed me into adulthood until I learned to face and heal them.
In 2017, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer—a profound reminder of life’s fragility and urgency. The personal work I had done, along with my clinical and spiritual training, became my lifeline, pushing me forward rather than allowing me to be consumed by fear. But cancer was more than just a wake-up call—it forced me to confront my younger self, who was still holding me back, too afraid to own my voice and step fully into my light.
I believe we all have a calling, but deep-seated resistance and trauma often stand in the way of achievement, joy, and self-actualisation. My life’s challenges became my greatest teachers, leading me to discover my purpose—helping others break free, heal deeply, and step into their own light.
My mission is simple: to help others live fully, overcome obstacles, and realise the limitless possibilities that await. If our paths cross, I hope my work—through The Voyage®, my courses, and my training—will be a source of support and transformation for you or someone you know. Please keep me posted and keep in touch.
In the meantime, I wish you many blessings
and the safest of journeys.
Warm wishes,
Lou
and the safest of journeys.
Warm wishes,
Lou
