Locations: Ascot and North Lakes Louise is registered psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia and a member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc. (AAPI) and the Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Association of Australia (EMDRAA), APS (MAPS) member. Louise Wakefield works with adults and the elderly. Louise has studied the Bachelor of Psychological Science at the University of Queensland, obtaining an Honours in Psychology and has previously studied Natural Therapies at the Australian College of Natural Medicine. She believes in treating people with a wholistic mindset creating improvements in a person’s ability to improve their mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health. She has worked predominantly in private psychology clinics along with government organisations within Brisbane and surrounding areas: The Department of Communities Child Safety, Transformations Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre, Prince Charles Mental Health Unit (Group Therapy Volunteer), and non-profit organisations, including Encircle. Louise has facilitated a variety of therapeutic psychology groups including multi-cultural client groups, grief and loss groups, self-confidence groups and adult literacy mentoring. Louise also facilitated courses to increase self-awareness and self-development programs for individuals struggling with their mental health. During her time working in a non-government organisation Louise developed and facilitated a grief and loss program for the bereaved and a self-awareness and self-development program for individuals struggling with their mental health. Louise has also facilitated women’s groups, social mature aged singles groups, and was a team leader for a hosting team within a large Brisbane organisation. Trauma Counselling Louise has a flexible approach regarding her work and is especially passionate working with individuals who have experienced severe trauma. She uses a combination of techniques for trauma and trauma related symptoms including Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Mindfulness and Positive Psychology to help people build resources within their lives and relationships. Healing doesn’t mean the pain never existed. It means the damaging effects of trauma no longer controls our lives. Louise has worked in a trauma specific Centre for over five years and has worked extensively with clients who have experienced complex childhood trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, domestic violence (emotional, mental, physical and sexual abuse), and borderline personality disorder. She understands trauma can be crippling, especially without the right intervention. She has a heart for trauma victims and is passionate to help clients develop their mental, emotional and physical regulating skills required to manage their responses to trauma. She helps her clients desensitise traumatic events they have experienced and assists them with reprocessing their negative beliefs, thoughts, emotions and physical sensations in relation to the traumatic event. This enables them to experience a life with minimal negative effects related to the traumatic events that they have experienced in their lives. Relationship counselling Louise is also passionate about improving the lives of her clients through relationship counselling. All relationships benefit from positive supportive guidance that focuses on the positive attributes of all parties involved. Relationships are an important factor that underpins the majority of areas of our lives, including our married life, family life, work life, sporting activities and general interests. When we have a high level of awareness of ourselves and others along with a high level of appropriate communication skills our interpersonal relationships become more effective. We are also able to express our own beliefs, thoughts, emotions and needs to a greater extent and we are able to discuss the challenges we face on a daily basis with the ones we love while actively sharing our hopes, dreams and our life with our significant others. Additionally, Louise helps couples to improve the quality of their relationships by helping people to increase their ability to encourage others to express their needs, increase and strengthen shared understanding and create a supportive environment for their partner, family, friends and work colleagues. The most important thing in a relationship is to give love freely and be open and able to accept love. To be able to yield and be receptive in a relationship is ultimately to win within a relationship. Louise helps couples, families and others with the use of the Circle of Security theory and the Gottman Relationship Method. The Circle of Security theory helps to increase people’s skill sets which enables them to learn how to be sensitive and empathetic to the needs of others. To be bigger, kinder, stronger, wiser within all relationships and to increase the ability to be a secure healthy attachment figure for significant others in their lives. Additionally, Louise supports relationships with the latest up and coming research from The Gottman Institute. The Gottman institute was developed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman who for over 40 years researched couples in order to develop clinical assessments and interventions specifically designed for married couples, interpersonal relationships, marriage afflicted with addictions and or affairs, and children and parental relationships. The Sound Relationship House Theory was developed from the research on couples to help others create greater connection, self-awareness, awareness of their spouse as well as increasing communication, love, trust and commitment within a relationship. Louise trained in the Gottman Relationship method to help couples focus on developing communication and connection skills, to increase understanding of their partner’s world, to explore ways of increasing shared fondness and admiration, to develop an Emotional Bank, and to increase a couple’s ability to turn towards each other during difficult times rather than away. She focuses on helping partners develop positive partner perspectives while reducing negative perspectives as a way to increase relationship strength. Conflicts naturally occur within relationships. Louise discusses best communication practices for reducing conflicts within relationships, for helping couples understand each other’s points of view and how to set appropriate relationship boundaries and develop improved communication. Additionally, she increases a couples’ ability to accept influence from their partner and increase their ability to compromise. This enables both partners to have their needs met, develop increased happiness and improve relationship satisfaction. Self-soothing techniques increase a person’s ability to emotionally regulate during times of conflict. Louise helps couples identify situations where self-soothing would be beneficial and teaches couples a variety of techniques to increase their ability to remain calm and relaxed during communication. After an affair every relationship can experience very difficult times. Trust, loyalty, and love may reduce and feelings of fear, insecurity and the need to withdraw may result. Louise helps couples to increase their ability to discuss and explore the causes of the indiscretions, identify the couple’s needs, while rebuilding love, trust and loyalty within the relationship. Growing together as a couple throughout the years is very important. Louise helps couples identify their life goals and increases their ability to work together to support each other’s personal goals as well as their goals as couples building a sense of shared purpose, meaning and the gradual development of a family legacy. Areas of Counselling Offered by Louise Include: Post-traumatic Stress, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Complex-Childhood Trauma and Complex-Trauma Relationships / Pre-marital counselling Anxiety, Panic Attacks and Phobias Depression and Bipolar Emotional Instability and Dysregulation Sleeping Problems Stress Management and Coping Skills Grief and Loss Adjustment Issues Low self-esteem and feelings of Worthlessness Personal Growth and Self-Awareness Eating and Body Issues Addictions including Drug, Alcohol, Gambling, Sexual, and Computer Gaming. Domestic Violence Improving Communication Aggression Separation and Divorce Parenting Advice Improving Motivation Academic Issues Psychological Training Completed by Louise: Louise continually undertakes further professional development to hone her skill sets which enables her clients to increase their ability to attain their goals. She has completed the following extra training to support her clients: EMDR Level 1 EMDR Level 2 EMDR for Dissociation EMDR for Eating and Body Issues – The Body Blame program Developmental Needs Meeting Protocol Gottman Marriage Counselling Level 1 Clinical Training for Relationships Gottman Marriage Counselling Level 2 Clinical Training for Relationships Gottman Marriage and Alcohol Addiction Gottman Marriage and Trauma/Affairs Psychological Interventions Louise Facilitates Within Sessions Include: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR Therapy) Dialectical Behviour Therapy (DBT) Positive Psychology Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Mindfulness Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Motivational Interviewing (MI) Brief Solution Focused Therapy Gottman Relationship Therapy Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy Louise’s Personal Life Louise is a mother of two children who are now adults. She is very passionate about creating the best possible life for children so they can grow and develop into the wonderful adults they are meant to be. She believes children are meant to be loved, cherished and cared for and views every moment shared as timely and precious. She loves spending time with her family, enjoys taking part in her children’s interests, Latin dancing, spending time with nature and gardening. She loves socialising with interesting people and traveling to see new sights.