A little about me...

Hello and welcome, my name is Laurie. I am an Integrative therapist; I trained at the University of East London on the Integrative Counselling and Therapy BSc.

I have spent 5 years working in the NHS for MIND Talking Therapies in East London, where I worked with clients from 18 to 80 years of age, from a panoply of cultural, racial and religious backgrounds, who I helped with a wide variety of issues, such as:

Depression & anxiety
Bereavement & grief
ADHD & neurodivergence
Early childhood trauma & psychological wounding
Feelings of hopelessness, meaninglessness and futility with one's life and/or the wider world
Relationship issues - familial, romantic & platonic
Gender, sexual identity and LGBTQ issues

My way of working is by using the integrative model in which I was trained. The integrative model is an approach that adopts techniques and ideas from different therapeutic orientations, to best suit the needs of the client. I try to tailor the therapy to the needs of each individual, and this approach enables me plenty of flexibility to find the most effective way to help my clients.

My style of working is empathic, open and straightforward. I endeavour to offer you a space that feels warm, welcoming and most importantly, safe.

Above all though, the most important part of therapy is the therapeutic relationship; it is the core around which we build on our work together.

It is something that I take great care of and put a lot of emphasis on, as it is essential for our work to bear fruit. I will often attend to this and discuss with you how you are feeling about our relationship and the work we are doing.

Now whilst this is a unique relationship, as the focus, understandably, is primarily on you, we work together as a team.

Think of me as a guide, someone who will be by your side, walking every step of the way with you through whatever issue or difficulty it is that brought you to me.

About ADHD and me

I was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in my late twenties, and since my diagnosis I have been fascinated by ADHD.

I have a personal and particular interest in working with individuals who have either been diagnosed with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or those that think they might have it and wish to talk about how to make sense of it, manage it and how to lead a happy and successful life with it.

There are 3 major types of ADHD

Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation: Characterised by impulsive and hyperactive behaviours without inattention or distractibility
Predominantly Inattentive Presentation: Characterised by inattention and distractibility without hyperactivity. Sometimes referred too as ADD
Combined type: This is the most common and combines both of the above.

Symptoms of ADHD

Symptoms of ADHD include inattention (not being able to keep focus), hyperactivity (excess movement that is not fitting to the setting) and impulsivity (hasty acts that occur in the moment without thought). ADHD is considered a chronic and debilitating disorder and is known to impact the individual in many aspects of their life including academic and professional achievements, interpersonal relationships, and daily functioning (Harpin, 2005). ADHD can lead to poor self-esteem and social function in children when not appropriately treated (Harpin et al., 2016). Adults with ADHD may experience poor self-worth, sensitivity towards criticism, and increased self-criticism possibly stemming from higher levels of criticism throughout life (Beaton, et al., 2022).

An estimated 8.4% of children and 2.5% of adults have ADHD (Danielson, 2018; Simon, et al., 2009). ADHD is often first identified in school-aged children when it leads to disruption in the classroom or problems with schoolwork. It is more commonly diagnosed among boys than girls given differences in how the symptoms present. However, this does not mean that boys are more likely to have ADHD. Boys tend to present with hyperactivity and other externalising symptoms whereas girls tend to have inactivity. Many children diagnosed with ADHD will continue to meet criteria for the disorder later in life and may show impairments requiring ongoing treatment (Pliszka, 2007).

Important Information

I currently only work online and offer 50 min video sessions
Fees are £65 per session, but I can offer some concessionary rates, please mention this when you get in touch, as spaces are limited.
I currently have spaces available.
I only work with adults from age 18 +