Neuronormative therapy models create hidden obstacles when counselling autistic individuals. Psychotherapy /Counselling has historically centred non-autistic experiences. Bolton (2022) describes how the field has used a neuronormative frame that subtly positions autistic experience as something to be corrected or reduced, rather than understood. Even approaches considered non-pathologising, such as person-centred therapy, have often relied on medicalised language within its l

The drive for autonomy, when the brain says NO! A Gentle Look at Your Demand Avoidance - The Pursuit of Autonomy as the Underlying Truth I want to talk with you about something that can feel really confusing and sometimes heavy. It’s those moments when you find yourself pulling away from a request or struggling to do something, even when you genuinely want to. People often label this as “demand avoidance,” but I don’t see it as a flaw in you. What I see is a very human need f

Talking about Sex and intimacy, how this can be experienced, what it might look like and the acknowledgement of its value and relevance.

You might have come across the term ‘supervision’ and wondered what it actually means in counselling. It can sound quite formal, but supervision is a deeply supportive part of the therapeutic process. It exists to protect the quality of the counselling relationship and to ensure you are being met with care, integrity and attention. Counselling supervision explained What is Supervision? Supervision is a regular space where counsellors meet with a more experienced practitioner

When life feels overwhelming, and emotions swirl in ways that are hard to manage, finding a gentle, effective way to soothe your mind and body can feel like a lifeline. I’ve discovered that emotional healing through tapping offers just that - a compassionate, accessible tool that invites you to reconnect with yourself and find calm amidst the chaos. It’s a practice that has helped me and many others navigate emotional challenges with kindness and grace. In this post, I want t

Recent research has found that reduced synaptic pruning - the natural process by which the brain trims unused neural connections - may play a key role in how neurodivergent people experience and process the world. During infancy, there is a period of increased synaptic development. From birth through adolescence, synaptic pruning occurs following the initial overgrowth. This process optimises the neural network by removing underused connections. This process is considered to

As a person-centred counsellor, I believe we all have an inner capacity for growth, healing and self-understanding when we’re met with empathy, acceptance, and authenticity. For neurodivergent people, whose experiences and ways of thinking can differ from the norm, this approach can feel especially supportive. It offers a space where you’re not being analysed or told what to do, but gently understood as you are. What Person-Centred Counselling Means to Me In this approach, de