Dr Luke Ward
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I am an accredited counsellor with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I have over eight years of experience supporting clients with a range of difficulties through individual, family, and parenting support sessions. I work online with clients aged 16 and older, offering a safe and compassionate space.
How I work and the areas I specialise in:
My experience working in charity and private therapy services means I am experienced in working with a range of difficulties. My specialisms are working with trauma and how it may impact you, for example, dissociation, attachment/relationship difficulties, and developing a sense of safety. I also specialise in identity work, for example, gender and sexuality, particularly with LGBTQIA+ communities. My therapeutic approach is trauma-informed, queer and trans-affirming, and grounded in social justice principles. This means I work within trauma-informed protocols, that I am inclusive of gender, sexuality, and relationship diversity, and that I recognise how societal and systemic inequalities affect mental health.
As an integratively trained counsellor, I can tailor my approach to suit your needs. Drawing on elements of person-centred, systemic, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), I can create a flexible and personalised way of working with you. In our sessions, we’ll work collaboratively to explore your concerns, identify patterns, and build strategies for positive change. Whether you're facing challenges related to identity, relationships, or past experiences, I am here to support you with understanding, care, and professional expertise.
What to expect in your first session(s):
I encourage you to book a free 15-minute appointment (with the button at the top of the page or by emailing me) to briefly discuss what is happening in your life at the moment to bring you to therapy and to see if we both feel working together would be a good fit. There is no commitment at this stage to book regular sessions.
If you decide to continue, we will arrange a regular time for your sessions. Our first couple of sessions are an opportunity for us to get to know each other and will focus on exploring what has brought you to counselling. I aim to develop a space where you feel comfortable and supported to bring your whole self. We'll establish an agreement about how we will work together, such as any goals or concerns you might have and what you hope to achieve from the sessions. I will also explain how I work and I will start to build a picture of your experiences to understand what is happening for you and how we might work together.
Please book in or email me for an initial appointment or to arrange some sessions. I look forward to hearing from you.
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.
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 specialist experience from working at a trauma and dissociation psychotherapy service, where I supported young people and their families through individual, family, and parenting sessions. My work involved delivering tailored trauma-informed interventions such as therapeutic life story work, narrative exposure therapy, and trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
I have volunteered at a local youth counselling charity during and after my training, providing support to 12–18-year-olds facing a wide range of challenges. I have also been a youth leader for an LGBTQIA+ youth group, where I played a key role in facilitating sessions and creating a safe, supportive environment for young people to explore their identities and build 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
Outside of my therapeutic work, I am a research-active psychology lecturer whose academic focus directly informs my practice. I have led several funded research projects on trans health and my findings have been published in multiple peer-reviewed scientific journals. This research deepens my understanding of the unique challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals and equips me with evidence-based insights to better support my clients.
I have been recognised for my contributions to equality and diversity, receiving university awards for “Advancing Equality and Diversity” and “Early Career Researcher.” My passion for creating inclusive spaces extends beyond my private practice; I have delivered training for counselling services and schools on “Working with Diversity” and “Supporting LGBTQ+ Students.”
My dual roles as a researcher and practitioner ensure that my therapeutic approach is grounded in the latest knowledge and best practices for supporting LGBTQIA+ individuals. For more details about my research, please visit my academic profile: https://pure.northampton.ac.uk/en/persons/luke-ward
Beyond work, I enjoy spending time in my greenhouse growing vegetables, rolling a D20 in Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, or building my latest Lego set. These hobbies reflect my love for creativity, strategy, and connection, values I bring into my therapeutic work. Thank you for taking the time to read about me and my work. If you feel I could support you in your journey, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Publications:
My publications explore topics such as gender identity development and sexuality within LGBTQIA+ communities, further enriching my understanding and approach as a therapist. Key publications include:
- Cronesberry, K., & Ward, L. (2024). Exploring gender diverse young adults’ gender identity development in online LGBTQIA+ communities. International Journal of Transgender Health, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/26895269.2024.2344534
- Ward, L., Pipkin, A., Frary, G., & Kempinska, C. (2024). “Rediscovering what I need to do to give myself pleasure”. Trans women’s experiences of their sexualities during gender transition: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000728
- Pipkin, A., Ward, L., Cotton, S., & Shearn, C. (2023). The experience of navigating sexuality in transgender people: A meta-ethnographic review. International Journal of Transgender Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/26895269.2023.2260795
- Ward, L., & Lucas, S. (2023). “You’re trying to put yourself in boxes, which doesn’t work”: Exploring non-binary youth’s gender identity development using feminist relational discourse analysis. Journal of Gender Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2023.2172557
- Ward, L. (2021). Young people's experiences of non-binary genders. Psychology of Sexualities Review, 12(2), 35-48 [Email me for a copy]
