Laura Howes Coaching

Laura Howes is a coach and trainer for neurodivergent adults in employment or self-employment, and for the organisations that employ them. Her starting point is that difficulty at work usually comes from systems built around a different kind of mind, so coaching is about finding ways of working that suit the person — and about knowing when to ask the environment to change rather than straining to fit it. She works with people across the public, private and charity sectors, and a free introductory call is available to check fit before booking.

Laura was diagnosed with ADHD in 2020, when the shift to home working during the pandemic brought long-standing difficulties into focus, and she describes that diagnosis as the start of her current work. Her approach is trauma-informed and strengths-based. Recurring coaching themes include task initiation, motivation, productivity, communication, confidence, and managing energy and sensory load. Her training spans coaching and learning design: a Level 5 Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring, a Level 4 Diploma and Level 3 Certificate in Learning and Development, and a Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills. Sessions run remotely by Zoom, Skype or phone. Fees are not published.

For many clients the most practical route is Access to Work coaching, paid for through the government grant for people who need extra support in a job or when running a business. For anyone awarded coaching through the scheme, this covers adapting work and home life, agreeing adjustments with an employer, career planning and the day-to-day friction of employment or self-employment — with a coach who is herself neurodivergent. On the organisational side, Laura runs workshops for managers and teams on neurodivergent strengths and on LGBTQIA+ inclusion, drawing on years co-chairing an inclusion network at a large conservation charity. The site does not publish a fixed curriculum, so organisations should ask what a session would cover for their team.