Welcome, I am so glad you are here
Hi, I'm Louise and I'm a somatic mind body coach based here in Scotland, UK. It's lovely to have you here in my little corner of the internet! If you’ve landed here, you might be feeling lost in your body, overwhelmed by symptoms, burnt out from living in your head or feeling disconnected. I understand how relentless that can feel—because I’ve truly been there, and I am here to help.
I'd like to share a bit about my own journey home to healing- and why you can trust me with yours
I was a busy school teacher when I started to experience unexplained pain, migraines, exhaustion and repeated infections. Standing for any length of time made me feel dizzy and made my heart race, and repeated trips to the doctor for blood tests came back with nothing. My life got smaller and smaller as I tried to 'push through' my symptoms to go to work, crashing in the evenings and weekends.
One day my body decided that enough was enough and I collapsed at work with stroke-like symptoms and seizures. After several weeks in a stroke ward and many investigations, they told me they 'couldn't find anything wrong', and despite being unable to walk, I was sent home with a diagnosis of 'functional' symptoms. I didn't know what was happening to my body, and began my descent into severe ill health and disability with no effective medical solution.
For over eight years, I lived with chronic conditions that left me bed-bound for months at a time- facing diagnosis after diagnosis, with no clear path forward. Debilitating fatigue, dizziness, migraines, chronic pain, PoTS, extreme sensitivity to movement, light and sound... I couldn't tolerate medication and was often too unwell to make it to the doctor's surgery. I kept thinking it would get better, it had to, right? But weeks turned into months and then years.
I felt like the only way through was to learn to accept my new, smaller life, and I found Mindfulness, which was the greatest gift. It helped me to learn to appreciate the small things in life, to lean into gratitude, to feel less alone and more interconnected with the world. It even helped with the pain and anxiety, but I was still completely stuck. On the occasional better days I could make a bed outside, or go out reclined in my wheelchair. But any trip outside caused days or weeks of increased symptom 'payback' and I spent much of my time in bed.
Finding the mind body approach
It had been suggested to me many times over the years that my symptoms could be linked to emotions, stress and trauma but I found the suggestion so offensive that I couldn't get on board. I didn't relate to having trauma or being stressed, yes life was stressful but wasn't that the same for everyone? I felt like my symptoms were being dismissed as not being real, or 'all in my head'.
But then everything changed.
A good friend recovered completely by using a mind body approach to retrain her brain, and it prompted me to take a look. I learned about the nervous system and the ways in which the mind and body interact, and for the first time it made sense to me. My body was stuck in a freeze response and my brain was responding in the only way it knew how- by shutting me down to keep me safe.
Amazingly, I was able to retrain my brain out of physical symptoms and for the first time in 8 years could open my front door and walk out.
Emotions are the key
Despite my improving health, the slightest emotional stress brought all my symptoms back with a vengeance and I was flipping between completely overwhelmed with anxiety and completely numb and disconnected. I came to realise that I had spent a lifetime avoiding my difficult emotions, numbing them out and pushing through and that I had become so disconnected from my emotions, that I didn't know how to find the way back in.
Through deep reflection, I saw that I had spent most of my life in survival mode, and that life as a highly sensitive child and adult had been much more difficult than I had allowed myself to feel. I started to understand that my traits of perfectionism, people pleasing, difficulty saying no, lack of boundaries and putting others before myself had been born from a deep seated fear of rejection, and an attempt by my wise body to avoid emotional pain.
My intuition told me that to move out of this disconnection with myself, I had to come home to my body. And that's when my healing really began.
Healing that lasts
As you can see, recovery brought many adventures and much arm waving! It was a very exciting time for me and my whole family (my dad said that seeing me recover felt like winning the lottery and that has always stuck with me).
I sold my wheelchair and bought a mountain bike, and in 2021 I fell off of a mountain and sustained potentially life altering injuries including a traumatic brain injury and broken spine. After several months of wearing a back brace and a year of physiotherapy, I was told that I would have chronic back pain for the rest of my life.
It was a devastating blow after having so many years of illness and disability, but since I was now experienced and qualified in the mind body approach, I was able to apply the same neuroscience to my chronic pain. Processing and integrating the trauma of the accident was the key to my healing once more.
Experiencing such a major physical and emotional trauma and not having a relapse of symptoms was the strong evidence I needed that I had truly put these symptoms behind me. And of course, there have been many life stresses since then, but being grounded in my body and able to process stress and emotions more healthily has resourced me to thrive, even amidst the stresses of life.
That's what I want for you too- deep healing that lasts, for a life of happiness and freedom.
Your friend and guide
Since regaining my health, I have made it my life's work to bring you with me into healing. My training and experience have taken me into the fields of mindfulness, somatic therapy, grief movement, nervous system healing, pain reprocessing and emotional integration. With over a decade of experience in Mindfulness, awareness and compassion are at the heart of everything I share, and I feel honoured to be able to walk this path with you.
What I have learned is that in order to drop out of the stories and stress of the thinking mind, we need to drop into the wisdom of the feeling body. Reconnect, Feel. Release. And I'm here to show you how.
All of my support and resources are tailored for neurodiverse minds like mine—because I know how it feels to be trying to meditate with a brain full of squirrels! My group immersion, 1:1 coaching, workshops and retreats support your healing in a way that’s spacious, kind, and transformative. Returning to wholeness, step by step.
I offer all that I am—my presence, experience, and deep care—in service of your healing. It’s my honour to guide and support you on your journey home.
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Louise is a highly skilled and gifted practitioner who has genuine compassion for her clients. Her authentic, open-hearted approach generates warmth, safety and trust that allows for the vulnerability needed to bring about the deepest level of healing.
Louise is serious about her work. She has extensive knowledge and training in the mind-body connection and also has personal experience of transformation using the methods of emotional embodiment. The insight she’s gained from this is both evident in her work and in the empathetic and nurturing relationship she creates.
I came to Louise with chronic physical pain and a lifelong, dysregulated nervous system. She quickly instilled in me a belief that change is possible, then skilfully guided me along the path of transformation and healing.
To me, Louise is a hidden gem.
- Des, England, transformed chronic pain and dysregulation
I have worked with Louise for a while and every session we have she brings me to a new level of awareness and calm.
I’ve done a lot of work on myself, but I find it hard to embody the teachings and get out of my head and Louise has been invaluable in guiding me back to the body and helping me in practical ways to actually DO the stuff I know to do.
Louise has a beautiful manner and creates a gentle, safe space in which she will guide you out of high alert and pain, and nudge you toward peace. I highly recommend Louise as a therapist and an all round good person to have in your life.
-Kate, transforming nervous system alert and embodying ease
I cannot recommend Louise highly enough. I have had CFS for the past 9 yrs and during this time I’ve worked with many therapists who looked into past trauma, nervous system regulation, Somatic Experiencing, emotional regulation and on and on it went. I honestly don’t think there was a period where I wasn’t working with someone. Nothing really worked for long. I felt depressed and defeated. Needless to say this cost a lot of money and I just wish I’d found Louise earlier…but then I remind myself that everything is in perfect order!
I started working with Louise a few months ago and after initial contact I just knew that she would be the one to give me the keys to unlock the mysteries of my symptoms and sure enough she has done exactly this.
Major and very palpable shifts have taken place within my nervous system and I’m now convinced (armed with my ‘evidence list’) that real change is finally here.
I will be eternally grateful for Louise’s depth of understanding and knowledge of this condition…for her compassion, warmth, empathy, encouragement, humour, belief in me and for supporting me 100% over these past months. She’s been my rock.
- Anne, transformed CFS