Therapy For Autistic Adults

Nottingham; Calmer Chameleon Consultancy; Rachel Phillips; MBCT; mindfulness; LGBT; Trans; trans-friendly therapy; depression; autistic; autism; aspergers; ASD;

Helping Autistic Adults To Manage More Successfully

Living life as someone who feels different from the mainstream can lead to a sense that you are ‘wrong’ or ‘alien’. Add to this a mixture of hypersensitivities to stimuli, blind spots to social rules and a vulnerability to being taken advantage of, and you have a recipe for anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.

Coming for therapy can help you to identify what you need to work on and try out strategies to find the right approach for you.

Here are some specific challenges that I can help you with

As an autistic person in a world set up for neurotypicals you may be feeling:

  • Confused, as people ask you to say what you think and they don't like what they hear
  • Tired of being misunderstood
  • Overwhelmed by people, but cut off at the same time
  • Upset by how rare it is to find people who accept you as you are
  • Frustrated that you are unable to reach your potential and fed up of being in a job that is less than you're capable of because of the stress of what is expected of you socially

I enjoy working with clients on the autistic spectrum. I use the neurodiversity paradigm: that autistic spectrum conditions (ASCs) are part of the natural variation in neurocognitive functioning expressed by all humans.I particularly like working with women on the spectrum (probably because I am one myself), and I welcome anyone who is questioning their identity or is self-diagnosed, as well as those who have a formal diagnosis.

I will help you identify your strengths and resilience while we work together on any challenges or mental health problems you may experience.

I understand that expressing how you feel and what you need can be a challenge in itself, so I’m happy for you to use art, extracts from films, songs, poetry or prose, or any other means, to convey what you might struggle to express through talking alone.
You can also record sessions or I can summarise what was covered in writing so you can process it afterwards if this helps.

Bringing Someone With You To Sessions

If you wish to come to sessions with a family member, partner or friend this is fine. It is often helpful to get other people on board as they can support you during and between sessions. They can also provide me with another perspective.

You need to bear in mind that the sessions are for you. If the person accompanying you, starts to talk more about their own issues, I will steer the emphasis back to you.

Relationship therapy for you and a family member/ partner/ friend is available and we can negotiate that if appropriate. The focus would then be on the relationship so everyone present would be encouraged to have their say.

Communication Channels

I know that many autistic people have issues about using the phone. If this is true for you, we can communicate by text or email. This can make it easier for you to process the information and come back to me if you need to know more.

I am used to adapting my work style to make it easier for clients to attend. For instance, some clients text me when they arrive so I can meet them at the door to avoid waiting room awkwardness or anxieties about finding the room. The video on the home page lets you know what to expect if you do contact me and what happens in the first session. There is another video on the location page that shows you how to find the office and what it looks like inside. Let me know what might help and I will do my best to find a way that will work for you.

Want To Know More? Ready to schedule an appointment?

Contact me for further details of how I work with autistic adults or if you would like to book an appointment.