Laura

Laura is a Positive Psychology and Behavioural Specialist, advocate, educator and wellness practitioner with more than 20 years of experience working across disability support, specialist and inclusive education, psychosocial care, advocacy and family support.

Originally from the UK and now based in Perth, Western Australia, Laura's career in supporting people began when she was just 16, working as a disability carer. At 18, she moved into the medical sector, supporting preschool-aged children and their families as they navigated assessment and diagnosis. By 20, Laura had found her way into specialist education, where she went on to spend more than a decade working in a specialist school in Wales, supporting children and young people from 4 to 19 years of age.

Those early years shaped much of who Laura is professionally today. They gave her a strong understanding of the importance of inclusion, communication, advocacy and, perhaps most importantly, seeing the person before the diagnosis.

After moving to Perth in 2011, Laura continued working within diversity and inclusion before stepping away from her career for a time to raise her three children. Parenting gave Laura a very different perspective — as a mother and carer navigating multiple diagnoses within her own family, including Autism, ADHD, hearing loss and chronic illness, she experienced first-hand the challenges families can face when trying to understand systems, access appropriate support and find people who genuinely listen.

Then, in her late 30s, Laura received her own diagnoses of Autism and ADHD (AuDHD), alongside several rare autoimmune conditions. For Laura, these diagnoses didn't change who she was — they helped explain many things she had spent years experiencing, and gave her an even deeper understanding of the importance of identity-affirming, individualised support. It also strengthened something she had believed throughout her career: people should never have to fit themselves into a box in order to receive the support they need. That belief is at the heart of Laura's favourite mantra: "No boxes allowed."

It is also the philosophy behind iTHRIVE Wellness, the fully mobile and inclusive service Laura founded to provide allied health counselling, life coaching, outreach programs, education, transitional support and animal-assisted therapy.

Whether she is working as a practitioner, advocate, educator or trainer, Laura's approach is client-led, client-affirming and holistic. She takes the time to understand the person sitting in front of her — their strengths, challenges, goals, values, environment and identity — and then works alongside them to build the right support around who they are. She believes in meeting people where they are, listening without judgement, finding what works for them, and providing the scaffolding they need to move forward with greater confidence, understanding and choice.

At the heart of Laura's work is a simple belief: a diagnosis may help explain someone's experience, but it should never be allowed to define their potential.