Catherine Hurley

BA (Hons) Humanities, BSc (Hons) Occupational therapy, MRCOT

A warm welcome to Empower Neurodiversity.

I am Catherine Hurley, a Specialist Occupational Therapist with more than 25 years of professional experience across NHS and independent healthcare services.I established Empower Neurodiversity to provide specialist, neuro-affirming Occupational Therapy and workplace support for neurodivergent people.

The practice is the culmination of many years of clinical work, learning and experience, together with a longstanding commitment to supporting people to understand their needs, recognise their strengths and participate more fully in the areas of life that matter to them.

My approach is collaborative, strengths-based and individualised. I am interested in understanding the person, their environment, their strengths and needs, and the demands of the activities and roles that are important to them.

My Clinical Background

My specialist areas of experience are mental health, neurodevelopmental conditions, work, education and reasonable adjustments.

Over the course of my career, I have worked within NHS and independent healthcare services, including specialist mental health services and children and young people's settings.I have also worked within both autism and ADHD clinical pathways, providing assessment and post-diagnostic support. I am trained in the use of ADOS and ADI-R standardised autism assessment tools and have undertaken regular clinical refresher training.

My career began in mental health before progressing into children and young people's mental health services and, subsequently, specialist neurodevelopmental practice.

I later worked as part of a multidisciplinary diagnostic team supporting working-age adults, contributing to diagnostic assessment and providing tailored post-diagnostic support. During this work, I developed autism-specific resources for service users alongside my clinical assessment and intervention work.

Work, Education and Neurodiversity

A particular area of professional interest is the relationship between neurodivergence, occupational functioning, education and employment.

Throughout my career, I have worked collaboratively with people returning to employment, navigating workplace difficulties and identifying appropriate reasonable adjustments across NHS and independent healthcare settings.

I have also worked as a DSA Specialist Mentor for approximately 10 years, supporting neurodivergent university students with areas including transition, executive functioning, organisation, wellbeing and managing the demands of university life.

I am a qualified Practice Educator for Occupational Therapy students at Northumbria University and have supervised and supported newly qualified Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapists returning to practice.

Coaching and Professional Development

Alongside my Occupational Therapy training and experience, I have undertaken postgraduate study in Health Coaching and completed additional training in ADHD coaching.

I am a member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC UK) and participate in its specialist interest group in neurodiversity.

This additional training complements my Occupational Therapy practice and supports my collaborative approach to helping people identify practical, sustainable ways of navigating everyday life, education and work.

My Approach

I recognise that neurodivergent people are not a homogeneous group. Two people with the same diagnosis may have very different strengths, needs, sensory experiences, environments and priorities.

For that reason, I do not work from a standard programme or assume that one strategy will suit everyone.

My aim is to create a professional space in which you can explore what is working, what is difficult and what might help - without judgement

Our work may include understanding:

Sensory needs
Executive functioning
Routines and everyday activities
Occupational balance
Transitions
Work or education
Self-advocacy
Reasonable adjustments

What we focus on will depend on you, your circumstances and the goals that matter to you.

I am warm, accessible and straightforward in the way I work, while providing a high standard of professional and clinically informed support.

Professional Standards

I am a registered Occupational Therapist and member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists.

I hold an Enhanced DBS certificate and appropriate Professional Indemnity Insurance, and Empower Neurodiversity is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

I undertake regular clinical supervision with a Consultant Occupational Therapist and maintain continuing professional development in accordance with professional requirements.

Find Out More

Please visit the Services section to find out more about the Occupational Therapy and Workplace Neurodiversity Coaching support I provide.

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