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About Thrive Hub

Supporting parents of neurodiverse children with expert guidance, practical strategies, and a clear path forward.

Thrive-Hub is your all-in-one support community for parents of neurodiverse children.  Our community brings together the key pieces of the puzzle that impact your child's development, behaviour,  learning, emotional regulation, sleep,  focus, speech, and wellbeing.​Instead of searching for answers alone, you'll have access to expert-led resources, training, live support, and a community of parents who truly  understand the journey. Helping you move from uncertainty to clarity, with practical guidance that makes everyday challenges feel more manageable.

Thrive-Hub was created to become the space we wished existed for parents; somewhere safe, hopeful, educational, and genuinely supportive. We both come from a place of deep understanding, knowing first-hand that healing is not a quick fix. It is a roadmap. One that takes time, patience, education, consistency, and most importantly… support and being truly heard.

We both work collaboratively to support families through a holistic, child-centred approach, gently uncovering each child’s unique biological and emotional needs.

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Lara and Vicky  - Founders of Thrive-Hub

"Our approach is not about ‘fixing’ autism or neurodiversity, but about supporting each child to thrive by removing hidden stressors, nourishing the body, and creating the conditions for true healing on every level... physically, emotionally, and neurologically."

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Meet The Team

Vicky Finlayson

Co-founder of Thrive-Hub

Qualified Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist
The Happy Healthy Unicorn

Vicky Finlayson

Vicky Finlayson holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and is a registered, qualified Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist. She has also completed specialist training with the Walsh Institute, furthering her passion for evidence-informed, non-pharmacological approaches to mental health and neurodevelopmental challenges.

As a qualified FNTP member, Vicky is deeply committed to personalised nutrition and helping individuals restore balance to both body and brain through a natural, holistic approach.

Her work focuses on understanding the complex relationship between nutrition, metabolic health, the gut microbiome, immune function, and brain health. By addressing the root causes of imbalance, she supports individuals in achieving better physical, emotional, and cognitive wellbeing.

Vicky specialises in neurodevelopmental nutrition, supporting children and adults with autism, ADHD, and a range of complex physical and mental health challenges. Her dedication to this field is deeply personal, shaped by her own neurodivergent journey, chronic health conditions within her family, and her experience as a mother to two children, one of whom was diagnosed with non-verbal autism at the age of four.

Today, her child is thriving, achieving milestones once thought impossible. This experience has given Vicky a profound understanding of the challenges families face, alongside genuine empathy, hope, and a commitment to helping others navigate their own journey towards better health and wellbeing.

Associated Certifications & Memberships

Accredited Federation of Nutritional Therapy Practitioners Member
Walsh Research Institute
Micro-immunotherapy

Lara Barnes

Co-founder of Thrive-Hub

Melillo Specialist
Brain Development UK

Lara Barnes

Lara Barnes has been specialising in Functional Neurology since 2018, a journey that began when she sought answers to support her son after noticing developmental delays and missed milestones that were affecting his overall development and academic progress.

Today, he is a transformed child, and this experience inspired Lara to dedicate her career to helping other families achieve similar outcomes.

In 2018, Lara completed Dr. Robert Melillo's Childhood Neurodevelopmental Disorders Certification programme in Barcelona. Initially undertaken to support her own son, this training laid the foundation for helping many other parents and children over the years, with life-changing results.

Lara later achieved a Distinction in the Certification in Melillio Method ™, a unique and powerful methodology accredited through the nterdisciplinary Association of Functional Neurosciences and Rehabilitation (IANFR).

She is also a member of the British Medical Laser Association, enabling her to incorporate photobiomodulation and red light therapy into her work where appropriate.

Passionate about making innovative, evidence-informed approaches more accessible, Lara is committed to bringing these methodologies to families across the UK. Her mission is to empower parents with the knowledge, tools, and support they need to help their children thrive and become the very best version of themselves.

Associated Certifications & Memberships

IAFNR Membership
DR Robert Melilo
BMLA-Membership Badge

Yesenia

Parent Mentor and Nurse

Yesenia

Yesenia’s passion for helping autistic children and their families comes from a combination that is incredibly special: professional nursing experience, specialist functional health training, and the lived experience of being a mum who has walked this journey herself. As an experienced nurse, Yesenia has spent years caring for patients and building a strong understanding of health and complex medical needs. But it was her own son’s autism diagnosis that completely changed the direction of her life and ultimately the work she felt called to do. Like so many parents, Yesenia suddenly found herself navigating a world of questions, uncertainty and conflicting information. She knows what it feels like to desperately want to help your child while trying to work out what on earth to do next. Rather than accepting that there was nothing more she could explore, Yesenia began immersing herself in the biological factors that can influence a child’s health, behaviour and development. Through perseverance, nutritional changes and functional health approaches, she supported her own family through some incredibly challenging stages of their journey. Her lived experience matters enormously. Yesenia doesn’t simply understand the science, she understands the parent sitting on the other side of the table. She understands the worry, the research at ridiculous hours of the night, the setbacks, the tiny changes that feel enormous, and those beautiful moments when you suddenly see a little piece of your child begin to shine through. Inspired by everything she had learned through her own family, Yesenia went on to complete advanced practitioner training through The Happy Healthy Unicorn, developing specialist knowledge in functional nutrition, personalised dietary approaches and our clinical frameworks. Her nursing background gives her a wonderful foundation of clinical knowledge, while her functional health training allows her to look more deeply at the individual child and the different factors that may be contributing to their health picture. This fits beautifully with the way I believe families should be supported: thoughtfully, individually and without jumping frenetically from one intervention to another. We absolutely love working alongside Yesenia. She is warm, thoughtful, incredibly caring and genuinely invested in the families she supports. She has that rare ability to combine clinical thinking with the compassion that can only really come from having lived this journey herself. We work collaboratively, sharing the same philosophy and looking at each child as the beautifully individual human being they are. I have enormous respect for what Yesenia brings to our work, and I am genuinely excited for families to have the opportunity to work with her. Families need practitioners who listen. Who understand that their child is more than a diagnosis or a collection of symptoms. Who can look at the science while never losing sight of the little person , or the family, at the centre of it all. Yesenia is exactly that kind of practitioner, and I feel incredibly lucky to have her working alongside me. Together, our goal is simple: to help families move away from overwhelm and towards understanding, confidence and hope, one achievable step at a time.

Christine

Autism Health Coach & Parent Mentor

Christine Frye – Autism Health Coach & Parent Mentor

Christine's journey into functional health began where the most powerful journeys often do, as a mother searching for answers for her son, Warner. When Warner was young, his autism was extremely severe. He struggled with profound challenges, was non-verbal and, at one stage, required a protective helmet for his own safety. Like so many parents, Christine was told what her son might never achieve. Refusing to accept that as the end of his story, she immersed herself in understanding the underlying causes of his health and development. Through years of dedication, learning and implementing personalised nutritional and functional health strategies, Christine witnessed remarkable improvements in Warner's health, behaviour, communication and development. Today, Warner attends a mainstream school—a milestone that once seemed unimaginable and one that stands as a testament to what can be possible when the body is supported from the inside out. Inspired by her family's journey, Christine went on to qualify as a Health Coach specialising in autism and neurodevelopment. She also founded a successful gluten-free and dairy-free bakery, born from her own determination to provide nourishing, delicious foods that supported Warner's healing journey. This experience gave her an exceptional understanding of how to make therapeutic nutrition practical, achievable and enjoyable for families navigating similar challenges. Christine has since completed almost a year of intensive training through The Happy Healthy Unicorn, developing advanced skills in functional nutrition, personalised dietary approaches and the practical implementation of Vicky Finlayson's clinical frameworks. She has a particular passion for creating individualised nutritional strategies that work for each child and family, recognising that no two healing journeys are ever the same. Today, Christine works alongside Vicky in clinic, supporting families with compassion, empathy and hope. Her greatest strength lies in her lived experience. Having navigated one of the most complex autism journeys herself, she understands the emotional, practical and nutritional challenges families face at an incredibly deep level. Parents often find immense comfort in speaking with someone who has truly walked the path before them. Christine brings together lived experience, professional training and genuine compassion, helping families feel understood, empowered and supported as they begin their own journey towards better health and brighter futures.

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Conditions We Support

At Thrive-Hub, we help parents understand why these challenges may be happening by looking at the foundations of brain development, sensory processing, primitive reflexes, nutrition, gut health, immune function and nervous system regulation.

Regulate • Integrate • Develop • Thrive

Building the Brain From the Foundation Up

🧠 Autism Spectrum Conditions & Developmental Delays
🗣️ Speech, Language & Communication Difficulties
⚡ Attention, Focus & Learning Challenges
🌪️ Emotional Regulation & Behavioural Challenges
🎧 Sensory Processing & Body Awareness Difficulties
🤸 Movement, Balance & Coordination Difficulties
🍽️ Feeding, Gut & Digestive Health Challenges
😴 Sleep, Nervous System & Regulation Issues
🛡️ Immune, Inflammatory & Chronic Health Concerns
🥦 Nutrition, Detoxification & Metabolic Support
💚 Mood, Wellbeing & Mental Health Support
🧠 Neurological & Brain-Based Challenges

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What does THRIVE stand for?

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T – Target Root Causes


We believe in looking beyond surface-level symptoms and asking “why is this happening?” rather than simply masking behaviours or struggles. We focus on identifying the underlying drivers that may be impacting a child’s health and nervous system, such as gut dysfunction, inflammation, immune dysregulation, nutritional deficiencies, infections, mitochondrial dysfunction, environmental triggers, nervous system stress, and biochemical imbalances. Our hope is that families leave Thrive Hub feeling calmer, more capable, more connected to their child, and confident in navigating the journey ahead with both knowledge and intuition working hand in hand 💗

THRIVE: The heart of Thrive Hub. Targets root causes, heals foundationally, restores balance, integrates support, validates the child, and empowers families.
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H – Heal Foundationally


Healing foundationally means starting with the core building blocks of health first. Rather than chasing endless supplements or complicated interventions, we focus on supporting the body in the most fundamental ways possible, through nutrition, digestion, sleep, blood sugar balance, minerals, hydration, emotional safety, nervous system regulation, and reducing inflammatory load. Strong foundations create stability for everything else to build upon.

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R – Restore Balance


Children’s bodies can become stuck in patterns of imbalance, within the nervous system, immune system, gut microbiome, hormones, inflammation pathways, or brain chemistry. Restoring balance means gently helping the body move back towards regulation, resilience, and safety so that symptoms can naturally begin to reduce as the body becomes less overwhelmed and more supported.

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I – Integrate Support


Healing is never meant to happen in isolation. Families need emotional support, practical guidance, education, community, and compassionate professionals around them. Integrating support means bringing all aspects of the healing journey together, nutrition, nervous system work, functional health, emotional wellbeing, therapies, parenting support, lifestyle changes, and community connection, into one safe and supportive space. Thrive Hub exists to ensure families feel guided, understood, and never alone throughout the process.

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V – Validate the Child


At the heart of Thrive Hub is the belief that our children are not projects to “fix”, they are human beings with thoughts, emotions, sensitivities, preferences, fears, personalities, and their own unique way of experiencing the world.


While we are deeply passionate about helping children heal and feel better physically, emotionally, and neurologically, we also believe healing must always be led with compassion, respect, and connection. We honour each child’s individuality throughout the journey and recognise that they are communicating with us constantly through their behaviour, emotions, nervous system responses, and needs.
 

Validating the child means listening to what their body and nervous system are telling us rather than forcing them into compliance or overlooking their emotional experience. It means recognising that many behaviours are rooted in overwhelm, discomfort, dysregulation, fear, inflammation, or unmet needs , not “bad behaviour.”
 

We believe children deserve to feel safe, heard, respected, and understood throughout their healing journey. Their sensory experiences, emotions, boundaries, and personality matter deeply. Thrive Hub encourages families to move away from shame and frustration, and instead towards curiosity, compassion, co-regulation, and true connection.


Because ultimately, healing is not just about reducing symptoms. it is about helping a child feel safer in their body, more connected to the world around them, and supported for who they truly are 💗

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E – Empower Families


At the heart of Thrive Hub is the belief that parents know their children more deeply than anyone else ever can. No practitioner, therapist, teacher, or protocol can replace a parent’s intuition, connection, and understanding of their child.


Our goal is not to create dependency on practitioners or overwhelm families with endless information. Instead, we want to help parents build the knowledge, confidence, and understanding needed to trust themselves more deeply throughout their child’s healing journey.


We believe one of the most powerful things we can do is help parents reconnect with their own intuition — because parents are often the first to notice the subtle shifts, patterns, regressions, sensitivities, improvements, and signs that something either feels supportive for their child… or does not.


Through education, guidance, community, and support, Thrive Hub aims to help families feel empowered to make informed decisions with greater confidence and clarity. We want parents to feel able to recognise when a child’s nervous system is becoming more regulated, when something is increasing overwhelm, or when a particular approach truly resonates with their child’s individual needs.


Every child is unique, and healing is never one-size-fits-all. What works beautifully for one child may not work for another. That is why we believe empowering parents to understand and trust their child’s individual responses is one of the most important parts of the healing process.


Our hope is that families leave Thrive Hub feeling calmer, more capable, more connected to their child, and confident in navigating the journey ahead with both knowledge and intuition working hand in hand 💗

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Our Membership Plans 

To celebrate the launch of Thrive-Hub we are offering our founding members

50% off our Thrive-Hub Membership plans *

* for lifetime of your membership

Choose the Membership plan that suits you to join the community 

  • Use THRIVE-M50 for 50% discount

    Monthly Thrive-Hub Membership

    100£
    Every month
    Join the Thrive-Hub community to help your family thrive.
     
    • Pay your membership monthly
    • 50% Lifetime Discount for founding members
    • Use "THRIVE-M50" code at checkout
    • Expert Monthly Masterclasses
    • Regular live Q&A Sessions
    • Supportive Parent Community Forum
    • Exclusive Access to Resources & Research
  • Use THRIVE-A50 for 50% discount

    Annual Thrive-Hub Membership

    1,000£
    Every year
    Join the Thrive-Hub community to help your family thrive.
     
    • BEST VALUE - 2 months access for FREE
    • 50% Lifetime Discount for founding members
    • Use "THRIVE-A50" code at checkout
    • Expert Monthly Masterclasses
    • Regular live Q&A Sessions
    • Supportive Community Forum
    • Exclusive Access to Resources & Research

Ensure you use the relevant membership discount code to use at checkout :  

Use THRIVE-M50 for Monthly Membership, or THRIVE-A50 for Annual Membership to get 50% discount for life. 

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