What do we do?
Simply, we meet weekly at an agreed time where you can talk and I will listen. I may ask questions and suggest ways to think about your situation.
What do we talk about?
Whatever is on your mind: there are no restrictions on what can or cannot be discussed. Trying to fit into a world which frequently does not recognise autistic experience can include accounts of an absence of contact with oneself, masking of a truer you, loneliness, emotional disconnect, or painful experiences of feeling 'less than'.
What happens?
Accounts we hold of ourselves and our position in the world go a long way to shaping how we live. As the stories that inhabit (and perhaps inhibit) you are revisited there is an inevitable loosening up: problems are viewed with a new awareness and symptoms can diminish. As aspects of your experience which were once baffling become manageable you can begin to live less under the control of the past, of other people or of particular beliefs, emotions or memories.
Autism counselling & psychotherapy
I offer long and short-term work providing a space to talk about whatever you want.
Some neurodivergent people have had problematic experiences of therapeutic work as their ways of being have been misunderstood or pathologised. I hope I offer a different perspective.
I'm not here to fix you but to understand together what's brought you to where you are and to find solutions. This could include thinking about how to deal with a nervous system which may become overloaded, finding ways to live more peacefully, acceptance of your uniqueness, addressing the change in identity that may come with thinking about yourself as neurodivergent and looking back to how you have had to live and forwards to new ways to be.
Who do you work with?
I work with individuals and couples aged 20 and above.
How long will it take?
This is impossible to predict but it usually becomes clear to us both that an ending of the work is in sight. I suggest an initial commitment of 6 sessions with a review at the end: sometimes this is enough to resolve a matter, whilst at other times you may want to consider longer term work. You are free to leave at any point and we will regularly review the sessions to check they are useful for you.