Luiza Neumayer
Counsellor and psychotherapist in Marylebone, London & Amersham, Buckinghamshire.
My story
I’m here to offer my clients a welcoming and secure space where they can feel free to talk.
It’s very important to me that we build a strong trusting alliance, so you feel safe to open up, as well as willing and able to consider making real changes.
Earning the right to practice as a counselling psychologist and psychotherapist requires a great deal of self-analysis, along with solid ongoing professional training. I do both on a continuous basis.
In Greek mythology, the centaur Chiron was a "Wounded Healer", after being poisoned with an incurable wound by one of Hercules's arrows. For C.G.Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, "a good half of every treatment deeply consists in the doctor's examining himself... it is his own hurt that gives a measure of his power to heal”.
My main teacher has been my own wound - getting to know it, feeling and processing the pain and all other complicated and intense feelings related to it - with patience, awareness and compassion. Working with my own trauma helped me understand a lot about complex relational trauma and what it does to the body, heart and mind.
How did I get here?
Before training to become a psychologist and psychotherapist, I worked in banking services and life insurance. I was a trainer and managed various projects. I was also the CEO of a charity for children diagnosed with critical illnesses. The therapeutic relationships I built with children and their parents helped me develop a great sense of patience, perseverance and belief in the human capacity to heal.
Now I’m a chartered psychologist, also qualified in Jungian psycho-dynamic counselling and psychotherapy working with individuals and couples. For couples, I’m a Certified therapist in Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT).
Ongoing training means I can deliver the best in professional practice.
On a personal level I am still immersed in my own psychotherapy process, as well as doing continual professional development. I am the first accelerated experiential-dynamic psychotherapy (AEDP) Certified therapist in the UK. AEDP is a new therapy approach which has roots in interpersonal neurobiology, attachment theory, emotion theory and affective neuroscience and body-focused approaches. Based on neuroplasticity, it facilitates healing traumatic events through undoing of aloneness and in-depth processing of difficult emotional and relational experiences.
In my work, I also integrate cutting edge techniques such as EMDR therapy, Brainspotting, Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) with Dr Frank Corrigan, Somatic Psychology, Polyvagal Theory and Internal Family System (IFS Level 1) for treating complex cases of trauma. I am also an EFIT, ISTDP, EMDR and Brainspotting UK Accredited Practitioner.
Intensive Short term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) is a cutting edge therapy model, with a strong evidence base. It is a highly effective form of individual psychotherapy designed to get to the heart of the matter quickly, and resolve issues fast. The approach is emotion focused; a relational therapy that can address a wide range of ongoing problems or symptoms.
I am also training in IFS Psychotherapy (LevelS I & II)
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an evidence -based psychotherapy helping people heal by accessing and healing their protective and wounded inner parts. Just like members of a family, inner parts are forced from their valuable states into extreme roles within us.
One major principle in IFS therapy is that the entire inner system (formed of protectors and wounds) are led by a core Self. The core Self, which can't be damaged, is a healing energy existent in everyone and with which we are all born with. IFS psychotherapy creates inner and outer connectedness by helping people first access their Self and, from that core, come to understand and heal their parts.
Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR)
Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) is a trauma therapy approach which aims to access the core of the traumatic experience in a way which tracks the original physiological sequence in the brainstem, the part of the brain which is rapidly online in situations of danger or attachment disruption. There may be threat and attachment wounding together when, for example, an experience of abandonment in infancy activates age-appropriate fears for survival.
Deep Brain Reorienting is a somatic trauma based approach.
After more than a decade of talking therapy (Jungian therapy), I started working with Dr Frank Corrigan doing DBR in order to access pre-verbal attachment trauma stored in the body memory. Through DBR I got in touch with visceral sensations, pre-affective attachment shock, emotions and images located in the lower parts of the brain where intense somatic work was needed to process trauma.
As a result, my way of working is a result of the rich, deep insights gained from working with both personal and collective unconscious contents gained from my Jungian analysis and of the body wisdom experienced through working with the DBR somatic trauma approach.
I now attend DBR trainings in order to become an accredited DBR training facilitator.
So how does all that help you?
My knowledge of these many approaches keeps enhancing my expertise and experience. In turn, that means I understand how to help you with a wide range of difficulties, from anxiety and depression to isolation, bereavement and loss or developmental attachment trauma.
Qualifications & Trainings
- Chartered counselling psychologist
- Jungian psycho-dynamic psychotherapist
- AEDP Certified Therapist
- ISTDP Certified Therapist
- EFT Certified Couples Therapist
- EFIT Certified Therapist (EFT For Individuals)
- EMDR UK Accredited Practitioner
- Brainspotting Certified Therapist
- MA in Advanced Clinical Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy; Minster Centre, London
- Supervisor in training, Centre for Supervision and Team Development, London
Qualifications and Trainings
- Chartered Member of British Psychological Society – BPS CPsychol (438949)
- Accredited Member of HCPC (PYL 36686)
- Registered Member of BACP (375658)
Being chartered by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and accredited by The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) means that I must adhere to their ethical framework for good practice and that in order to retain my membership and accreditation I undergo annual checks to ensure that I continue to meet the exacting professional requirements of the regulatory bodies. I am also a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Therapist Member of:
- ICEEFT (International Centre of Excellence in EFT)
- British EFT Centre
- Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy Institute (AEDP Institute)
- Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP London, UK)
- EMDR UK Association
- Brainspotting UK
My basic theoretical training includes:
- AEDP, IFS and Coherence Therapy integration with Dr Tori Olds - October, 2024 to April, 2025
- Deep Brain Reorienting Level 3 with Dr Frank Corrigan - September 2024
- The CORE module of supervision - January 2024, The Centre for Supervision and Team Development, London
- The Seven-Eyed Model Therapeutic model of supervision - January 2024, The Centre for Supervision and Team Development, London
- Advanced AB-ISTDP with Dr Sharon Lewis, February - present
- Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) Essentials with Dr Sue
- Johnson and Dr Leanne Campbell - February - April 2024
- Deep Brain Reorienting Level 1 with Dr Frank Corrigan - April 2024
- Deep Brain Reorienting Level 2: healing of emotional shock, attachment wounding and other traumatic experiences - May 2024
- MA/PG Dip Advanced Clinical Practice in Psychotherapy and Counselling, The Minster Centre, London
- Internal Family Systems Therapy Level 1 - May
- ISTDP Core training (Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy), ISTDP London, Dr Sharon Lewis - 2021 - 2023;
- MA/PG Dip Advanced Clinical Practice in Psychotherapy and Counselling, The Minster Centre, London
- IFS Online Circle - Foundations of IFS Model
- AEDP 9+1 - Intense Course with Diana Fosha; September -2021 - May 2022
- ISTDP Core training (Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy), ISTDP London, Dr Sharon Lewis - 2021 - ongoing
- AEDP 9+1 - Intense Course with Diana Fosha; September - present
- Attachment Focused EMDR, PhD Laurel Parnell, August 2021; Parnell Institute
- ISTDP Core training (Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy), ISTDP London, Dr Sharon Lewis - ongoing
- Jungian Experiential Process Group; with Society of Analytical Psychology; September
- Psychobiological approach to Couples Therapy (PACT), Dr Stan Tatkin
- Jungian Experiential Process Group; with Society of Analytical Psychology; September - present
- Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR), Dr. Frank Corrigan - trauma therapy training - for addressing pre verbal attachment trauma and CPTSD, June
- Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) - Sweden, Essential Skills 2 - part 2
- Short-Term Psycho dynamic Psychotherapy - Advanced Clinical Technique for Accelerated Treatment, Derby
- Complex Trauma Training Course (Levels I and II) with Dr. Janina Fisher (online - within International Association of Trauma Professionals - IATP) - ongoing
- Polyvagal Theory with Deb Dana - August - September - January 2021
- Somatic Psychology |Dr Arielle Schwartz
- Brainspotting Training - Level 1 and 2 | Clinical Psychologist, Mark Grixti
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR Training) Level 1,2,3 | EMDRIA and EMDR-E
- Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) - Sweden, Essential Skills 2 - part1
- "Transforming Resistance", ISTDP and AEDP Therapist Steve Shapiro - Online Training - 2018-2019
- Complex Integration of Multiple Brain Systems (CIMBS) | Dr Ellen Beauchamp, Clinical Psychologist
- Neuro Sequential Model of Therapeutics - https://www.neurosequential.com/nmt, ongoing
- Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) | Dr Frank Corrigan, ongoing
- Infant Observation seminars | Society of Analytical Psychology, London
- EFT Couples Therapy Core Skills 1,2,3 & 4 | Gail Palmer, London
- Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) - Immersion Training | Dr Diana Fosha, London, Immersion, Essential Skills 1
- Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy – Externship | EFT Couples Therapist James Perrin, Dublin
- Circle of Security International – Parenting Facilitator Training | London
- Baby Brains – Course Facilitator Training | Department of Psychology, University of Essex
- Training in Systemic Psychotherapy – Couple, Child, Family | 6 months (2015)
- MA in Analytical Psychotherapy | Romanian Association of Analytical Psychotherapy (2008-10)
- MSc Psychology - 2005 -2008
I take part in ongoing supervision meetings in psycho dynamic therapy, AEDP, EMDR, DBR, Brainspotting and EFT for Couples to make sure I offer professional services to clients.
“The propensity to make strong emotional bonds to particular individuals [is] a basic component of human nature"
John Bowlby
Contact me
Please contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or if you would like to arrange an appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on 07803375794 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
All enquires are usually answered within 3 business days, and all contact is strictly confidential.
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