Inside our partnership with Luke Ambler and Ambler Training
When people think about prisons, they often think about punishment.
Luke Ambler believes there is another perspective that deserves attention: the thousands of people in secured settings who are carrying the impact of trauma , loss, difficult childhood experiences and poor mental health.
Through a partnership with Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT), Luke and the Ambler Training team are helping men in secure settings develop the confidence, self-awareness and resilience needed to build brighter futures.
Using personal experience to help others
Luke's passion for supporting others began with his own childhood.
"When I was eight years old, my mum had a car crash which left her with severe brain damage and a lifelong mental illness. I started struggling at school, but no one really knew because I was very good at wearing a mask."
Those early experiences shaped the work he does today.
Over the years, Luke has become known for his work through Ambler Training and the charity Andy's Man Club , creating spaces where men feel able to speak openly about their struggles and seek support.
Seeing the person behind the sentence
Working in prisons transformed Luke's understanding of the people he met.
"What you suddenly start realising is that the perception you often have of a prisoner isn't probably the right one. It is often years and years of trauma, belief systems and issues that people have been carrying."
Research consistently shows that many people within the prison system have experienced significant adversity and trauma throughout their lives.
For NHFT, addressing those experiences is an important part of supporting health and wellbeing.
We spoke to Dr Sunil Lad, Lead Psychologist for NHFT's Specialist and Secured Services, about why interventions like Ambler Training are so important when engaging the prison population.
"We know from research that the prevalence of trauma and adverse childhood experiences is huge within prisons."
The sessions delivered by Ambler Training focus on practical tools that help participants understand their emotions, manage difficult situations and challenge negative thinking patterns.
At the centre of the programme is a simple concept known as the Ambler Method :
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Recognise
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Regulate
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Reframe
Participants learn to recognise their responses to challenging situations, regulate their emotions more effectively and reframe unhelpful thoughts.
One example Luke shared involved encouraging participants to identify positive aspects of situations they initially viewed only negatively.
"It's trying to get them to reframe any scenario where it's always the negative and always the bad, and ask whether there's an alternative perspective."
Positive role models
For many men, opening up about their feelings can be difficult.
Luke believes role models and relatable conversations play a crucial role.
"It's okay to ask for help. It's okay to sit in a space and be okay with what you're feeling and not feel like you're weird, a burden or weak for having these problems."
The sessions are designed to be authentic and accessible.
"Let's keep it real. Let's not hide away from things. Let's make it true and relatable."
Making a difference, together
Having worked in dozens of prisons across the country, Luke describes the partnership with NHFT as something distinctive.
"I've worked in 61 prisons and I've never had a relationship like this where it's done through healthcare using such a collaborative model."
Together, NHFT and Ambler Training are creating opportunities for people to engage with support, develop new skills and build hope for the future.
As Luke puts it:
"Tomorrow can be better than today."