Mind - Psychology

Every element of the psychological input at Lumeah is grounded in current research and established therapeutic models rather than trends or quick fixes. We draw on eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) for trauma processing, dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) for emotional regulation, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for patterns of thinking, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for values and committed action, compassion focussed therapy (CFT) for shame and self compassion, and structured coaching approaches such as the GROW model.

These therapies have been developed, tested and refined over many years, and we integrate them in a way that fits you as an individual. Our focus is always on approaches that are clinically sound, trauma informed and shown to be effective, and delivered by highly qualified and experienced staff, so that the work you do here is not only meaningful in the moment but also has a solid foundation for lasting change.

​Whether you come to Lumeah on a retreat for intensive therapeutic or coaching, or attend a day or weekend event, the psychological and ethical framework remains the same. Have a read about what we offer.

​EMDR: intensive work on past, present and future and EMDR intensives are a core offer at Lumeah and you can read more here.

Psychological skills, education and development
Alongside EMDR, we offer structured psychological input that gives you a toolkit you can keep using long after you leave. This includes resourcing and nervous system regulation. We spend time on resourcing: developing and strengthening practices that help your body feel safer and more settled. These are not generic “self care tips”. They are specific, evidence based tools to help you stabilise and soothe your nervous system, which makes any deeper trauma work safer and more effective.

Coaching and the GROW model
We use the GROW model of coaching to help you clarify:
Your Goals: what you actually want from your life, relationships, work or health
Your current Reality: what is happening now, honestly and without judgement
Your Options: different ways forward, given your temperament, values and circumstances
Your Will: what you are ready to commit to when you go home

How you think: CBT informed work
We explore the role of cognition, which simply means how you think and what you say to yourself internally. You will learn how to spot unhelpful thought patterns, such as catastrophising, harsh self criticism or all or nothing thinking

Understanding and regulating emotions: DBT informed work
We spend time demystifying emotions and learning practical emotional regulation skills, drawing on Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). This gives you the opportunity to understand why emotions feel so intense, hard to manage, and how they get in the way. Learning how to notice, name and track emotions in your body, you can then learn the skills for calming acute emotional storms and riding out urges without acting on them.

Boundaries
Working with relationships, boundaries and communication, so that you can say no, ask for what you need and be clearer with others without abandoning yourself
Values and committed action: ACT based work

From an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) perspective, we look at:
What genuinely matters to you: your values in different areas of life, including the ways in which fear, shame, old beliefs or other people’s expectations have pulled you away from those values and develop concrete, realistic committed actions that move you a small step closer to a life that feels aligned

Compassion Focussed Therapy - CFT
A core aim of the psychological work at Lumeah is to quietly, steadily build your confidence and clear the blocks that have been holding you back. Many of those barriers are not laziness or lack of willpower. They are old protective strategies: staying small to stay safe, saying yes to avoid conflict, overthinking every step in case something goes wrong. Together, we name those patterns, understand where they came from, and gently challenge the story that you are somehow “not enough”. We draw on Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) to work directly with shame and self confidence. Shame is not just a feeling, it is a whole body state that tells you “there is something wrong with me” and can make it very hard to take up space, ask for help or believe you deserve good things. CFT helps you understand how this shame system developed, often as a way of trying to keep you safe and acceptable in difficult environments, and then begins to gently rebalance it.

​​Together, we explore your “inner critic” and the impact of years of harsh self talk. Then we intentionally build a different inner voice: a compassionate, steady part of you that can soothe threat, offer encouragement and hold you kindly accountable without collapsing into self attack.
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Creating the best version of you
Overall, the psychological input at Lumeah is not about fixing a broken person. It is about understanding how your mind and body learned to protect you, gently releasing the weight of what you have been carrying, and equipping you with the skills, clarity and confidence to step into the next chapter of your life feeling more regulated, grounded and authentically yourself.

​​The retreats and events are ultimately about movement. Not just movement away from pain, but movement towards the person you have always had the potential to be. The psychological work we offer is not about endlessly circling what went wrong in the past. It is about understanding those experiences just enough that they no longer quietly run the show, and then using that understanding as a springboard into something new.

​​When we map out your story in the individual sessions offered for our retreats, we are not looking for what is wrong with you. We are looking for what happened to you, what you had to carry and how your brain and body adapted in order to cope. Once we can see that clearly, it becomes easier to say, “This pattern helped me survive then, but it does not have to define me now.” EMDR helps to gently unhook the intense emotional charge from past experiences. As that softens, there is more space for curiosity, creativity and choice. You can start to ask different questions. Not “How do I keep everyone happy so I am safe?” but “What do I want my life to actually feel like?”

​​We don't make promises, we make the space and offer skills, expertise and opportunities for you to find yourself.

​If you would like to know more then get in touch.