BSc (Hons), PgDip, O.A. Dip
Gemma Louise
Hello ladies....
If you’ve ever felt like you’re too much for this world, yet somehow never quite enough, you’re in the right place.
She Thinks Different exists for women who think deeply, feel intensely, and are done apologising for it. This is a space for clarity, understanding, and rebuilding — not fixing. Because you were never broken.
Everything I do is shaped by compassion, lived experience, and purpose — with one aim at its heart: to help you find peace in who you are, and the courage to build a life that fits you, not the other way around.
Gemma
A Little About Me
I was born and raised in the Lake District, surrounded by nature, close-knit community, and the kind of quiet beauty that teaches you to slow down and pay attention. That early environment shaped me more than I realised at the time.
In my early adulthood, I drifted through cities across the UK searching for purpose — outwardly capable, inwardly untethered. I didn’t yet have the language to understand what I was experiencing, only the sense that I was always slightly out of step with the world around me.
Everything changed when I returned to Cumbria in 2008, following the birth of my daughter and a series of personal challenges that forced me to stop running and start rebuilding. It was during that period that I made the decision to return to education and pursue a career rooted in meaning — work that centred human understanding, compassion, and change.
My own experience of therapy was profoundly life-changing. It gave me the space to heal, to rebuild my self-esteem, and to develop boundaries that honoured who I was becoming. It helped me let go of old narratives, forgive myself and others, and imagine a future that could actually feel safe and fulfilling. That transformation lit a fire in me: I wanted to be that safe, grounding presence for others — someone who could sit in the dark with you until you find your light again.
For me, therapy is where science meets soul. I’ve always been fascinated by human behaviour — the why beneath our thoughts, feelings, and patterns — and becoming a psychotherapist allowed me to blend evidence-based practice with empathy, intuition, and deep respect for the human experience. It’s work that feels profoundly personal and endlessly meaningful.
Today, I live in Manchester with my family. When I’m not working, you’ll usually find me outdoors — hiking with friends, walking our two giant dogs, or disappearing into the calm of wild camping. And when I’m not in nature, I’m recharging with a good book, a binge-worthy TV series, or quiet time with the people (and animals) I love most.
The Missing Piece
In my late 30s, I was diagnosed with combined ADHD and Autism.
I don’t have the words to fully explain how that landed.
It changed nothing — and everything — all at once.
For the first time in my life, the pieces finally clicked into place. I understood why I had spent years feeling both too much and not enough. Why I had worked so hard to hold everything together on the outside while quietly unravelling within.
Like so many neurodivergent women, I had been labelled — and had come to believe — that I was too emotional, too intense, too sensitive, too driven, too different.
So I did what so many women like me do.
I worked harder.
Masked better.
Achieved more.
Kept performing.
Kept proving.
And quietly… I kept breaking.
I carried grief, burnout, collapse, and identity loss — alongside the terrifying, lingering question: Who am I, really?
Diagnosis didn’t bring a neat, instant sense of relief. It brought grief for my younger self. It rewrote my timeline. It offered compassion and validation I didn’t even realise I’d been missing. For the first time in my life, I truly understood myself.
And with that understanding, everything changed.
What I once thought was chaos, I could finally see as creativity without support.
What looked like burnout was brilliance without balance.
What felt like failure was a nervous system that had been surviving in a world it was never designed for — without a map.
The overwhelm wasn’t weakness.
The overthinking wasn’t me being “dramatic.”
It was a neurodivergent brain doing its best to survive.
That understanding changed everything — personally and professionally.
And it was also where the real work began.
The Full Picture
She Thinks Different was born from that place.
It exists for women like me — women who see the world differently, think deeply, feel intensely, and are done apologising for it. For the suspected and the late-diagnosed. The invisible strugglers. The women who achieved their way into exhaustion and were told to “just cope” when what they actually needed was understanding, safety, and space to fall apart and rebuild without judgement.
My work is not shaped by textbooks alone.
It is shaped by lived experience — lived survival, lived trauma, lived rebuilding — grounded in nearly a decade of clinical practice and the countless stories shared with me in therapy rooms over the years.
I adore my work as a Psychotherapist and Neurodivergent Coach. Staying actively engaged in client work keeps me grounded in the heart of what I do and reminds me daily of the power of human connection, resilience, and change — for both myself and the amazing women I work with.
Every woman I work with is supported through a deeply personal, bespoke approach. This space isn’t about fixing you — because you are not broken. It’s about helping you finally make sense of yourself. Untangling shame. Reclaiming identity. Building a life that no longer requires you to disappear inside it.
And this is where The Bluebell Path emerges.
Because bluebells don’t bloom in comfort.
They grow through cold, dark, unforgiving ground — after winter has done its worst.
Delicate.
Determined.
Unstoppable.
And that is you — even if you don’t believe it yet.
This is where hope regrows.
This is where resilience rebuilds.
This is where you stop surviving — and start choosing yourself.
And if reading this feels tender…
If you feel seen right now…
I would be honoured to walk alongside you into what comes next.
Welcome to She Thinks Different.
My face-to-face coaching and therapy sessions take place in a calm, welcoming space within the Ivy Mill Business Centre in Failsworth. The room has been thoughtfully designed to feel safe, comfortable, and private — somewhere you can settle in and exhale.
You’ll have access to a discreet waiting area and nearby bathroom facilities, and complimentary refreshments are available to help you feel at ease. Your comfort and sense of safety are always prioritised during our time together.
For those who prefer flexibility, online sessions are also available — allowing women to access support from wherever they are.
What to Expect in our sessions:
Our sessions are calm, collaborative, and grounded. This is not a space where you’re analysed, rushed, or pushed to “fix” yourself. Instead, we work at a pace that feels safe, respectful, and genuinely supportive.
You can expect a balance of compassion and honesty. I will listen carefully, ask thoughtful questions, and help you make sense of patterns that may have followed you for years — without judgement or shame. Sessions are shaped around you: your nervous system, your goals, your capacity, and what feels most important in the moment.
Depending on whether you’re engaging in therapy or coaching, our work may involve processing experiences, exploring emotions, building insight, developing practical strategies, or creating structure and accountability. Often, it’s a blend — always intentional, never generic.
You don’t need to arrive with the right words, a clear plan, or a polished version of yourself. Some sessions will feel steady and reflective; others may feel messy, emotional, or deeply clarifying. All of it is welcome.
Above all, you can expect to be met with understanding, warmth, and professional care — and to leave sessions feeling more grounded, more informed, and a little more connected to yourself than when you arrived.