Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity-Affirming Counselling
Specialist support for autistic, ADHD, AuDHD and other neurodivergent adults.
Whether you have a diagnosis, identify as neurodivergent, or are beginning to explore whether you might be, therapy can offer a space to better understand yourself, make sense of your experiences and explore what you need to feel more comfortable in your life.
I am a neurodivergent BACP Accredited Counsellor, Psychotherapist and Clinical Supervisor, bringing both professional knowledge and lived experience of neurodiversity to my work. My approach is neurodiversity-affirming and trauma-informed. I work collaboratively, at your pace, and focus on what is important to you rather than trying to make you fit into a particular way of being.
My experience working with neurodivergent clients
My interest in neurodiversity was cultivated further through my voluntary work with an autism charity in 2012. This led me to explore how therapists could adapt their practice to better meet the needs of neurodivergent clients. As a neurodivergent therapist, I am aware that therapy isn't a one-size fits all process. Over the years, I have developed an approach that recognises that therapy itself may need to be adapted (and this was the focus of my Master's research). This might include considering sensory needs, communication styles and processing time, using visual or creative approaches, offering psychoeducation, and incorporating your interests and strengths where this is helpful.
I explored this area in depth through my Master's research, completed in 2018, which examined therapists' experiences of working with neurodivergent people using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.
What does neurodiversity mean?
Neurodiversity describes the natural variation in how human brains work, think, process information and experience the world. A neurodiversity-affirming approach recognises neurological differences as part of human diversity rather than automatically viewing them as problems or deficits that need to be fixed.
The term neurodivergent is used by many people whose ways of thinking, processing, communicating or experiencing the world differ from what is considered typical. This can include autistic people and people with ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and other neurological or developmental differences.
Being neurodivergent can also mean experiencing the world more intensely. You might find that sensory input, social interaction, demands or prolonged periods of stress can leave you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted or shut down. You may have developed ways of coping, such as masking or people-pleasing, that have helped you manage but can become exhausting over time.
In therapy, we can explore these experiences without judgement and consider what helps you feel more regulated, understood and able to be yourself.
I often work with people who are struggling with:
Living as a neurodivergent person in a world that isn't always designed for you
Therapy can provide space to explore the challenges of navigating environments, relationships and expectations that may not fit the way your brain works. Rather than focusing on changing who you are, I aim to help you understand yourself better, recognise your strengths and find ways of living that are more sustainable and authentic for you.
Relationships and attachment
Explore your relationship patterns and how past experiences may influence the way you connect with others. Develop healthier communication and boundaries, and build relationships where you can feel safe, valued and able to be yourself.
Burnout and workplace difficulties
Get support with autistic or ADHD burnout, workplace stress, conflict, difficult relationships at work, or periods of career change and uncertainty. Together, we can explore what is contributing to your exhaustion and what you need to feel more balanced.
Anxiety and panic
Understand what is contributing to your anxiety and develop ways of managing it that work for you, so that anxiety and panic feel less overwhelming and don't prevent you from living the life you want.
Self-esteem and your inner critic
Develop a kinder relationship with yourself, reduce self-criticism and people-pleasing, and build greater confidence in your own needs, decisions and boundaries.
Trauma and Complex PTSD
Explore the impact of difficult or traumatic experiences at your own pace, and understand how the past may still be affecting you in the present. I offer a compassionate approach to help you develop greater safety, self-understanding and a stronger sense of control.
I offer EMDR and a trauma-informed approach tailored for neurodivergent brains.
Sensory overwhelm, emotional regulation and masking
Explore what happens when your nervous system becomes overwhelmed and develop ways of recognising and responding to your needs. This might include sensory overload, emotional regulation, masking, boundaries, communication, shutdowns or difficulties recovering from periods of stress.
A neurodiversity-affirming approach
I don't see neurodivergence as something that needs to be fixed. Instead, I aim to understand how your brain works, what your experiences have been, what has helped you to cope, and what you need now.
Therapy is collaborative and individual to you. We can adapt the way we work together so that therapy feels accessible, predictable and comfortable, including considering communication preferences, sensory needs, processing time and how you best understand and express yourself.
