About Cheryl Thornton & Holistic Autism Well-Being

Early Foundations

I began my career in health and social care after completing A-levels in Applied Social Sciences, including Psychology, Sociology, and Ethics, alongside training in counselling and advanced counselling skills. My early career took me into crisis centre management, working with vulnerable 16–30-year-olds in crisis situations, as well as children leaving care, young people in the youth justice system, and those facing housing and mental health challenges.

Shaping My Journey

When my own children were diagnosed — my daughter with autism and unrecognised complex health issues, and my son with ADHD and Asperger’s — my focus shifted. Many of my daughter’s challenges were linked to root causes that went undiagnosed or unacknowledged at the time, leaving us without the support we needed.

Frustrated by the lack of health-based support in both schools and mainstream medicine, I began a battle to get my children’s needs recognised. This experience fuelled my dedication to years of research and study into naturopathy, functional medicine, nutrition, and holistic therapies.

Through this journey I realised that too often, health was missing from educational and developmental plans. Families were left without the joined-up support they needed, and children’s health concerns were overlooked in favour of narrow educational targets. Holistic Autism Well-Being was born out of that determination to bring health and education back together, creating a bridge between what families need and what systems provide.

My journey became about restoring balance, exploring root causes, and finding ways to strengthen both family and child through practical, compassionate support.

Training & Qualifications

Alongside postgraduate study in Health & Social Care, I achieved several diplomas at distinction level in each of the following modalities: Diet & Nutrition, Reflexology, Reiki, Herbal Medicine, Holistic Practice, Naturopathy, and Massage Therapy. I also trained as a Spiritual Counsellor while completing my holistic therapy studies.

I qualified as an Advanced Holistic Therapist/Practitioner, specialising in autism-related complex health issues, particularly those affecting the digestive, lymphatic, and nervous systems — including food sensitivities, gut health imbalances, detox pathways, and toxin or heavy metal overload.

Through this work, I was also accepted as a practitioner with one of the Country’s leading functional laboratory companies, and recognised in the field of natural holistic supplements — enabling me to support families with tailored functional testing and supplement protocols.

Professional Development & Memberships

I received one-to-one training with the only qualified behavioural optometrist in the country, gaining further skills in communication and understanding the impact Vision Therapy can have. This approach supports spatial awareness, balance, speech development, and reducing tip-toe walking in autistic individuals and those with global developmental delay.

I continue my professional development through courses in Functional Medicine and training in severe learning difficulties. My ongoing learning is also supported through active membership with:

The National UK Therapist & Complementary Medical Association
The Institute of Functional Medicine
The Royal Society of Medicine
The Royal Society for Public Health

The Vision

Holistic Autism Well-Being grew out of these experiences — the determination to put health back into the Statement of Health & Educational Needs. I believe true autism education and development must begin with strong, health-focused foundations.

My mission is not just to provide therapies, but to empower families, carers, and individuals to take back ownership of their health and wellbeing. I aim to create services that blend health, education, and whole-family support.

I also work alongside standard medical interventions, bringing awareness of how holistic and functional approaches — grounded in scientific evidence — can complement mainstream treatments. This collaborative focus helps connect families, schools, GPs, and specialists — bridging the gap between sectors that too often work in isolation. For me, this is the only way forward: building communication, strength, and shared responsibility, so families like mine no longer fall through the cracks.

Any discounts or practitioner commissions I receive are passed directly on to clients or reinvested into Holistic Autism Well-Being services. This ensures families benefit from reduced costs, while keeping my work focused on accessibility and family needs rather than profit.

“Putting the health back into the Statement of Health and Educational Needs.”