AUTISM COACHING
AUTISM COACHING
This is the short version (TL:DR)
I offer autism coaching for adults and young people over 16, in person in Kingsbridge, Devon, and online across the UK.
You do not need a formal autism diagnosis to work with me. You may be diagnosed, self-identifying, waiting for assessment, or beginning to wonder whether autism or AuDHD might explain why everyday life has often felt so difficult to manage.
As an AuDHD counsellor and coach, I understand how exhausting it can be to keep adapting yourself to environments, expectations and relationships that do not always fit you.
When you are tired of always having to adapt
Many autistic people spend years adjusting themselves around other people. You may have learnt to hide discomfort, say yes when you need to say no, keep going when you need to stop, or appear fine when things do not feel fine inside.
You may not always notice what something has cost you until you are exhausted, overwhelmed, or unable to keep going in the same way.
Autism coaching can help you notice where you are adapting, what is taking too much from you, and what might need to change.
When everyday life takes more out of you than people realise
From the outside, you may look as though you are coping. You may work, care for others, manage responsibilities, attend social events, reply to messages, and keep things going.
Inside, it may feel very different.
Social exhaustion, anxiety, transitions, change, people pleasing, sensory overwhelm, shutdowns and meltdowns can all make everyday life feel harder than it looks. You may understand yourself better now, but still feel unsure how to make life work in a way that feels manageable.
Coaching gives you space to untangle what is not working and find realistic next steps.
What autism coaching is, and what it is not
Autism coaching is not about helping you become less autistic. It is not about training you to mask better, forcing flexibility, pushing social performance, or encouraging you to override your needs.
It is not about making you more productive at the cost of your wellbeing. It is not therapy, although it can feel emotionally supportive. It is also not another place where you have to explain, justify or minimise what you need.
Autism coaching is practical support to help you understand patterns, make changes, and build ways of living that work better for you.
Working out what helps you feel safe, steady and able to function
Many autistic people know when something feels too much, but find it harder to identify exactly what they need.
You might know that a situation feels overwhelming, but not know whether the problem is the environment, the communication, the expectations, the timing, the people, the transition, or the lack of recovery afterwards.
In coaching, we can explore what helps you feel safe, steady and able to function. This might include routines, boundaries, communication, recovery time, planning, or small changes to your environment.
The aim is not to create a perfect life. It is to make life feel more possible.
People pleasing, social exhaustion and anxiety
If you have spent a long time trying to be acceptable to other people, it can become difficult to know what you actually want or need.
You may say yes quickly, worry about disappointing people, over-explain, apologise often, or agree to things before you have had time to process whether you can manage them. Social situations may bring anxiety, not because you do not care, but because there can be so much to think about, interpret and recover from.
Coaching can help you notice these patterns without blame. We can look at where people pleasing shows up, what it is protecting you from, and how to build boundaries that feel realistic rather than harsh.
Transitions, change and difficult conversations
Transitions and change can take more energy than other people realise. Even positive changes can feel unsettling if there are too many unknowns, unclear expectations, or not enough time to prepare.
Coaching can help you plan for transitions in a way that supports you. This might include preparing for conversations, thinking through possible outcomes, working out what you want to say, or identifying what would make a situation easier to manage.
If work feels draining or unclear, we can also explore what support, boundaries or adjustments might make it more manageable.
Coaching, counselling, or both?
Counselling and coaching can both be helpful, but they offer different kinds of support.
Counselling may be more helpful when you want space to explore emotions, identity, past experiences, shame, relationships, burnout or the impact of being misunderstood. Coaching is usually more focused on practical support: working out what helps, making changes, building routines, communicating needs, setting boundaries and making everyday life feel less draining.
Some people benefit from counselling first. Some prefer coaching. Some find that both are useful at different points.
You may also find my pages on Autism Counselling, ADHD Counselling and AuDHD Counselling helpful if you are unsure which kind of support feels right.
Autism coaching is not about becoming easier for other people to understand or manage. It is about helping you create a life with more recovery, clearer communication, fewer impossible expectations, and less constant adapting.
Send me a message
You do not have to arrive with a clear plan, the right words, or a neatly organised explanation. You are welcome to get in touch even if all you know is that life feels harder than it needs to be.
A simple message is enough.
I offer autism coaching in person in Kingsbridge, Devon, and online across the UK for adults and young people over 16.
