Meet Psychologist Dr Laura Brougham

“Your concerns and your experiences are valid. If you were to come to The Dawn Practice, we would make sure that you were heard, listened to, and valued. We would work together to achieve your goals.”

Dr Laura Brougham is a Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Coordinator of The Dawn Practice, and is registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC). She has a Master’s in Autism and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, specialising in learning disabilities. She has since specialised in autism for over 20 years, though she also works with other neurodivergent types, including Learning Disabilities and ADHD.

She describes how she fell in love with her psychology speciality, reveals some misconceptions about mental health and neurodivergence, and shares advice on what new clients can expect when visiting The Dawn Practice for the first time.

Tell us about your background.

I studied psychology at Glasgow Caledonian University. Whilst there, I completed some volunteering experiences with the National Autistic Society. The day after my final exam, I started a role in management. So I fell into management at a very young age, in my very early 20s, and then I stayed in that [position] for a while because I really liked that type of work. Eventually, I was drawn back to psychology, whilst I studied my Master’s in Autism at the time I was in management.

In 2013, I gained my first assistant psychologist post, carrying out a service audit in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. After that, I went into an associate psychologist post in community learning disabilities in the Scottish Borders before starting my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2014. I’ve always been drawn to specialising in neurodivergence, particularly in learning disabilities and autism; for my doctorate, I conducted my thesis on adapting Compassion Focused Therapy for a Learning Disability population, which is now published. I also completed a specialist placement in a forensic learning disabilities inpatient ward.

When I qualified, I worked for the NHS in two different teams: Forensic Learning Disabilities and then Community Learning Disabilities. I was first involved with the clinic as an associate

in January 2022. When an opportunity to apply to be part of the employed team arose, I was delighted to apply. I’ve been in my current post for the last 2 years.

What inspired you to go into this line of work?

When I was doing my psychology undergrad, I did a placement in a school for children with autism, and I just fell in love with that type of work. So that was me, I was hooked from about the age of 18. A close family member of mine is autistic and was supported by services when younger, so I always knew this was the type of work I wanted to get involved with.

Describe your role at The Dawn Practice.

My official title is Clinical Coordinator, which involves leading the neurodevelopmental pathways. Part of that is doing assessments for learning disabilities, autism, ADHD and/or any combination of these.

My role sits within the senior management team, making sure that there is good clinical governance throughout the team and that all the other clinicians doing the assessments are rigorous and following national guidelines. I also make sure we’re keeping up with all the current good practice guidelines. For example, at the moment, there’s a lot of interest within the community that assessments are more neuroaffirmative in nature.

Therapeutically, I see Neurodivergent clients and adapt therapy to everyone’s specific Neurotype. My main therapy model is compassion-focused therapy. I’m also trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and systemic treatment, but the approach is often specific to that person, their goals and their preferences. I assess across the lifespan, but therapy-wise, I mainly see people from age 16 and upwards.

I do a lot of post-diagnostic support, which is varied per person or family. For example, that could be: ADHD coaching, psychoeducation on understanding their own Neurotype, making sense of a late diagnosis, working with autistic burnout, helping someone to reduce masking, or putting together some suggestions/strategies for someone’s workplace or education.

What is the most rewarding thing about your job?

I think one of the most rewarding things is when someone comes and they get a late diagnosis, they’ve been mislabeled their whole life, and they’ve not known that they had either autism or ADHD, then you help them make sense of their brain.

It can be life-changing for people; it helps them put things in perspective because everyone is usually really hard on themselves.

For example, if you have a girl with ADHD–maybe she’s daydreaming, can’t keep up, and isn’t learning the same way her peers are, despite being bright. She will label herself as stupid or pathetic, useless, and worthless. Until there’s another name to understand her differences, it can affect her self-esteem and confidence, and increase the likelihood of other mental health problems like depression and anxiety.

When you can help someone make sense of their life and their experiences, then give them the tools to thrive, that is what I love the most.

What should clients expect from their first appointment?

We understand that sometimes people feel nervous if they’ve waited for a long time or feel like an imposter and worry that they’ve come for no reason. But our admin staff are really friendly, so when they open the door for you, you can expect to see some welcoming and kind faces.

You can also expect to meet a welcoming and kind clinician who will help to put you at ease. The environment is comforting–the clinic itself is a lovely, warm, welcoming environment, very much designed to feel more homely than clinical. We also try to aim to reduce the impact of sensory differences, such as using low lighting. If there is something else specific we can do, please ask and we will aim to accommodate. For example, I have a couple of people on my caseload who struggle with strong smells; therefore, on the days I see them, I don’t wear perfume.

For all of our assessments, we have an initial screening to make sure that nobody is going through for an evaluation where it is not indicated as necessary. The clinic is very ethical in that sense; we would never put someone through an assessment if it isn’t shown.

If someone ends up getting a diagnosis late in life, they may have a grief reaction, wondering how their life might have been if they’d known sooner. But along with loss, they will often also experience relief and understanding.

What is the primary mental health misconception you see as a clinician?

The one that’s jumping out to me straight away is “big boys don’t cry” and [the idea that] men need to “suck it up”. I’ve worked with several men who have come from families where this has been the message. In those cases, it can be challenging in therapy to break down those beliefs because they’ve heard those messages all the time.

If you look at the statistics, females may be more likely to present with mental health difficulties; however, males over the age of 45 are more likely to die by suicide. In part, researchers believe that this is due to a lack of help-seeking behaviour. Although there are very complex and varied factors at play with these statistics. One thing that our practice can help with is to promote help-seeking behaviour in all populations.

Another misconception I hear from clients is that therapy does not work for Neurodivergent clients. In my experience, this is usually related to treatment not being carefully adapted to the individual’s neurotype. Therefore, if you are neurodivergent and have had previous therapy which did not help, please be assured that there is still hope if you find the right clinician. If in doubt, do not be scared to ask your clinician what type of experience they have in working with your specific Neurotype. If you don’t feel confident with their response, then keep looking, there are great clinicians out there who can help, and a lot of them are within our team.

What is The Dawn Practice doing to combat this?

We want to make sure that we are available for anyone who needs help. Particularly around things like Suicide Awareness Month, we want to advertise our services and run social media campaigns raising awareness about suicide prevention. We have over 50 experienced clinicians within the practice, which spans across several different professional groups, covering the lifespan and in 5 different locations across Glasgow and the West. I am confident that the practice can meet your needs, whatever they might be.

Are there any misconceptions about neurodivergence?

The female presentation of autism and/or ADHD is not well-known.

I think there’s still this misconception that ADHD looks like the five-year-old boy who’s climbing the walls in the classroom and being disruptive, when actually, there are all these women and girls who present differently. We sometimes call them the “lost generation” of

women who were missed due to some of these stereotypes about ADHD, which has been helpful over the years.

We’re very thorough at the clinic in making sure that we’re adapting for different presentations; we have a lot of clinicians who are experienced in assessing females for autism and ADHD.

Another misconception that continues is that Autism or ADHD are childhood presentations. Sometimes, clients in their 20s and onwards have been told, “Well, if you have managed until now, then you don’t need an assessment”. I think this message can be harmful. Clients have a right to understand their brains better and to have a clinician listen to their experiences. This can be such a powerful intervention that it really shouldn’t be underestimated. I would want everyone to know that it is NEVER “too late” for an assessment. I have diagnosed individuals in their 70s, and it has had a significant impact on them. The “lost generation” of autistic adults who never received a diagnosis as a child has higher rates of mental health difficulties (mainly depression and anxiety), and problems with employment and relationships. Some new research in the UK suggested that there are 2.5 million undiagnosed Neurodivergent individuals. So if you are considering coming for an assessment later in life, it is worth it.

What is one thing you would tell someone who is considering getting support?

Your concerns and your experiences are valid. If you were to come to The Dawn Practice, we would make sure that you were heard, listened to, and valued. We would work together to achieve your goals.

The Dawn Practice Psychology Services

All our psychologists and clinicians are highly experienced, providing the gold standard in mental health and neuroaffirmative care. If you would like to explore assessment or post-diagnostic services at The Dawn Practice for yourself or a dependent, or are a GP wishing to refer a patient, please get in touch with us.