25 years caring for everyone else's brain. Then I noticed mine.
I'm Laura, a certified ADHD coach and senior nurse. I help women in midlife make sense of ADHD, hormones and burnout, without the jargon or the judgement.
Hello, I'm Laura
ADHD Works certified coach
Registered nurse for 25 years
Advanced Nurse Practitioner and nurse prescriber
MSc in Leadership in Healthcare
Diploma in ADHD, with accredited training in ADHD assessment
Caring for people since 1996
I help women in midlife understand how their brains work, recognise their strengths and build a life that fits who they really are.
My story
I've been caring for people since 1996. I've been a nurse in acute hospitals, general practice, community and mental health services, and I've led teams and services at a senior level. I've sat on both sides of the desk, many times.
People still get in touch, decades later. Patients, families, students I trained. It's never the big things they remember. It's being seen when they felt invisible, and being treated as a person, not a bed number.
For years I called myself "a bit scatty". Losing my glasses while they were on my head. Standing in the kitchen with no idea why I'd come in. Running on adrenaline and lists, then crashing.
I was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia later in life, and I identify as autistic. Twenty-five years a nurse, and I still didn't spot it in myself, which is very on brand.
Luminous Within started closer to home, wanting to understand and support someone I love. I'm also a mum of neurodivergent children. That lived experience sits alongside my professional one in every conversation.
ADHD and autism run through my family, so I know the pull of both. Craving routine and craving novelty. Needing quiet and needing stimulation. Often on the same day, sometimes before lunch. Many of the women I work with have both too, and I understand how those two sides can tug in opposite directions.
So many women I meet have been carrying it quietly for years, thinking it's just them. They've been told it's stress, their age or "just anxiety". They know something isn't right, but can't find the words in a ten-minute appointment. It isn't just them. And they don't have to fall apart for it to count.
What I believe
People flourish when they feel understood, not judged, compared or told to try harder.
Lasting change comes from understanding yourself differently, not from forcing yourself into someone else's way of doing things.
Who I work with: mostly women in midlife who are
- Living with ADHD, autism or both, or quietly wondering if it's them
- Newly diagnosed later in life and working out what it means
- Leading teams at work while juggling family, everyone else's needs and, somewhere at the bottom of the list, themselves
- Juggling brain fog, hormones and a memory that has left the building
- Burnt out from years of holding it all together
- Dreading GP appointments and not sure how to get heard
- Trying to stay well at work, or working out what reasonable adjustments to ask for
You don't need a diagnosis. Come exactly as you are. I understand how often dyslexia overlaps with ADHD, but I'm not a dyslexia specialist, so if you need an assessment I'll point you to people who are.
I also work with employers: coaching for neurodivergent staff (often funded by Access to Work), and workshops for managers and HR teams.
With my nursing background, I can help you prepare for appointments, understand the system and speak up for yourself. As a coach, I don't diagnose or give medical advice. I'll always point you to your GP or specialist for that.
"If there's one thing I hope people take away from working with me, it's not that I had the answers. It's that together, we created the space for them to discover their own."
My approach
My job isn't to give you the answers. It's to help you find your own.
"You believed in me before I believed in myself."
Laura recognised the things in me - I did not know were possible and helped me take bold steps forward. The inspiring way Laura worked with me I will be forever grateful.
"You helped me make sense of what I was experiencing."
Laura understands so much about ADHD and how aspects of life can affect you - at different stages. For me it was perimenopause and recognising those aspects helped me start to thrive again. Very grateful and the best decision I made to choose working with Laura.
Laura is such a warm, supportive and knowledgeable coach. She has a fantastic understanding of ADHD and how differently it can present in different people and situations. She has helped me better understand myself and recognise how my ADHD can show up in different circumstances, always with kindness and without judgement. I’m really grateful for her support, guidance and understanding.