AUTISM COUNSELLING
AUTISM COUNSELLING
This is the short version (TL:DR)
I offer autism counselling for adults and young people over 16, in person in Kingsbridge, Devon, and online across the UK.
As an AuDHD counsellor, I understand how important it can feel to be with someone who does not need you to perform, translate yourself, or give the “right” answers. Therapy can be a space where you are allowed to be authentic, even if your way of thinking, speaking, feeling or responding has been described as weird, strange, too much, or hard to understand before.
When you have spent years trying to get it right
Many autistic people become very skilled at noticing what other people expect. You may have learnt to monitor your facial expression, tone of voice, body language, answers, reactions and emotions.
You might worry about saying the wrong thing, being too honest, not responding quickly enough, or giving an answer that other people find strange. Over time, this can make even ordinary conversations feel exhausting.
Counselling can give you space to explore what happens when you do not have to work so hard to be acceptable.
When coping has come at a cost
From the outside, you may look capable, thoughtful, responsible or high-achieving. Inside, life may feel very different.
Social exhaustion, people pleasing, sensory overwhelm, transition difficulties, shutdowns, meltdowns, relationship struggles and workplace stress can all build up quietly. You may be surviving, but not really feeling like you are living as yourself.
This page is for the part of you that is tired of holding everything together.
What autism counselling is, and what it is not
Autism counselling is not about fixing you, training you to mask better, or helping you appear more “normal”. It is not about forcing eye contact, pushing you into uncomfortable social performance, or assuming that overwhelm is irrational.
Autism counselling is about understanding your nervous system, your needs, your patterns, your boundaries and your history. It can help you make sense of why certain situations feel so draining, why you may shut down or become overwhelmed, and why you may have adapted yourself around other people for so long.
A space where your way of being makes sense
In therapy with me, you do not have to give polished answers. You do not have to explain everything perfectly. You do not have to know whether your experience is “autistic enough” to belong here.
We can adapt therapy to your communication style, pace, sensory needs and way of processing. Some people need time to think. Some need visual structure. Some need directness. Some need gentleness. Some need permission not to know.
The work begins with making the space fit you, rather than expecting you to fit the space.
Understanding masking, burnout and overwhelm
Masking can sometimes look like coping, but it often comes with a cost. You may have learnt to push through discomfort, ignore your own needs, say yes when you mean no, or keep functioning until your body or mind simply cannot continue.
Counselling can help you recognise the difference between genuine capacity and survival mode. It can also help you respond to overwhelm with more kindness, rather than shame, guilt or self-criticism.
Relationships, work and everyday life
Autism can affect many areas of life, not because you are doing something wrong, but because the world often expects people to communicate, work, socialise and cope in one particular way.
You may find relationships confusing or exhausting. You may struggle with workplace expectations, unclear communication, sudden changes, sensory demands or the pressure to appear fine. You may need more recovery time than other people seem to need.
Therapy can help you understand these patterns, build clearer boundaries, and make choices that fit your actual needs.
Moving from surviving to living more authentically
For many autistic people, therapy is not about becoming a new person. It is about coming back to yourself.
That might mean understanding your needs more clearly, noticing where you have been masking, reducing shame, responding more kindly to overwhelm, or allowing yourself to do things in a way that works for your brain and body.
I work with autistic, ADHD and AuDHD clients in a neurodiversity-affirming way, integrating person-centred, Gestalt and CBT approaches. The aim is not to make you more typical. It is to help you feel safer being yourself.
You may also find my pages on ADHD counselling and AuDHD counselling helpful if those experiences feel relevant to you.
Send me a message
You do not have to have everything worked out before you get in touch. You are welcome to send a message, even if all you know is that something needs to change.
I offer autism counselling in person in Kingsbridge, Devon, and online across the UK for adults and young people over 16.
