About me
Are you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or unsure where to turn? Maybe you’re carrying the weight of past experiences, navigating questions around identity, or just feeling like something isn’t quite right. Whatever’s bringing you here, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
About Me and How I Work
I’m Luke, a BACP-accredited integrative therapist offering online counselling to people aged 16 years and older across the UK. I specialise in working with LGBTQIA+ people, those exploring gender identity, and individuals who’ve experienced trauma. I offer a warm, thoughtful, and affirming space where you can feel safe to explore what’s going on for you, at your own pace, and in your own way.
My work is grounded in a trauma-informed, queer- and trans-affirming, and socially aware approach. I understand that our emotional wellbeing is shaped not just by personal experiences but also by wider social and systemic pressures and I hold space for both.
Areas I Can Help With
I have particular expertise in:
- Trauma and its effects - including dissociation, anxiety, low self-esteem, or difficulties with trust and relationships
- Attachment and relationship issues
- Identity work - including gender, sexuality, and questions of belonging
- Support for LGBTQIA+ people navigating life transitions, discrimination, or a need to feel seen and understood
Whether you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or simply unsure of what’s wrong, we can work together to make sense of your experiences and move towards healing.
My Approach
I’m integratively trained, which means I draw on several therapeutic approaches - including person-centred, systemic, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) - to create a way of working that’s tailored to you. I aim to be actively affirming of all identities and experiences, and I pay close attention to the impact of shame, marginalisation, and trauma in how we relate to ourselves and others.
We’ll take things at your pace. Together, we’ll explore what’s been going on, identify patterns, and gently develop new ways of thinking, feeling, and relating. I aim to offer you a space where your whole self is welcome - including the parts you may struggle with or feel unsure about.
What to Expect in Our First Sessions
I offer a free 15-minute introductory call, where you can tell me a bit about what’s brought you here and ask any questions you have. There’s no pressure to commit - it’s simply a chance to see if we might be a good fit.
If you decide to go ahead, we’ll book a regular time for your sessions. In our early sessions, we’ll get to know each other and talk about what you’d like to work on. I’ll also explain more about how I work and what you can expect. You don’t need to have it all figured out, I’ll meet you where you are.
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications:
I have a Masters level counselling degree (2017) alongside a PhD in psychology (2021) and an undergraduate degree in psychology and philosophy (2012). I am also a BACP Accredited Member and Mental Health First Aider.
Specialist Training:
- Developmental Trauma for Professionals - Beacon House (2023)
- Dyadic Developmental Practice, Psychotherapy & Parenting - Level One - Dr Kim Golding (2022)
- Mental Health First Aid Training - Mental Health First Aid England (2021)
- Trauma Processing - Lynn Ryan (2019)
- Trans & Non-Binary Training Day - Professor Christina Richards (2019)
- Developmental & Relational Trauma - Dr Karen Treisman (2018)
- Working Therapeutically with Traumatised Children - Lynn Ryan (2018)
- Introduction to Trans Awareness - Gendered Intelligence (2016)
- Eating Disorders in Adolescents and Young People - Kathryn Weaver (2016)
Experience:
I have over eight years of experience supporting clients in both charitable and specialist therapy settings. I previously worked at a trauma and dissociation psychotherapy service, offering individual, family, and parenting sessions. My work focused on developmental trauma, dissociation, and attachment, using tailored trauma-informed interventions such as therapeutic life story work, narrative exposure therapy, and trauma-focused CBT.
I also volunteered for several years at a youth counselling charity, supporting 12–18-year-olds with a wide range of issues. In addition, I was a youth leader at an LGBTQIA+ youth group, where I co-facilitated sessions, created safer spaces, and supported young people in exploring their identities and building community.
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£95.00 per session
Free initial online session
Additional information
I offer a free 15-minute online initial appointment to answer any questions you might have about me and how I work. Please use the 'Book intro call' button or email me to arrange this.
When I work
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My primary availability is on Thursdays from 09:00-19:00. I may also have some availability between 17:00-19:00 throughout the week.
Further information
Alongside my counselling work, I’m also a research-active psychology lecturer. My academic focus directly informs my therapeutic practice - especially in supporting LGBTQIA+ clients. I’ve led several funded research projects on trans health and identity development, and my findings have been published in leading peer-reviewed journals. This work deepens my understanding of the unique challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ communities and gives me a strong, evidence-based foundation for the support I offer.
I’ve been recognised for my commitment to inclusion with university awards for Advancing Equality and Diversity and Early Career Researcher. I also deliver training to counselling services and schools on Working with Diversity and Supporting LGBTQ+ Students, helping others create safer and more inclusive environments.
My dual roles as a therapist and academic mean you’ll be working with someone whose practice is grounded in both lived experience and the latest research. If you’re interested in learning more about my academic work, you can visit my profile: https://pure.northampton.ac.uk/en/persons/luke-ward
Outside of work, you’ll find me tending to my greenhouse, rolling dice in Dungeons & Dragons, or building my latest LEGO set. I bring the same creativity, thoughtfulness, and care from these parts of my life into my work as a therapist.
