Luciana Castagna is a psychotherapist working in the community sector and private practice in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Australia.
She has over 25 years' experience helping people who have experienced childhood and complex trauma or/and adult and child sexual assault. A focus of her practice is understanding the impacts of trauma and a belief that healing is possible in a safe and supportive environment. Her philosophy is that healing and change occur when a person's internal experience changes. Each person's internal experience has a direct impact on every aspect of their lives, including their emotions, thoughts, body and beliefs, as well as their connections with family, friends and the broader community. Our internal experience directly influences the choices we make.
Luciana's desire to become a psychotherapist was influenced by her struggle to find the right healing path. This led her on a journey of ongoing formal and informal study to understand how trauma impacts our bodies, emotions and beliefs about ourselves, and, ultimately, how we see the world and our place within it. Through her personal journey, she has come to understand that real healing from trauma is possible.
Counselling sessions with Luciana provide a safe space in which people can explore their past and current challenges in a safe and supportive environment. Within this safe space, healing and change can occur.
Luciana has formal training in a number of different modalities, including:
Luciana draws primarily from Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and the Havening Techniques. She has found these two therapies to be the most effective for healing from the impact of trauma. However, the best fit for each person and their current situation is taken into consideration, and Luciana draws on other techniques as needed.