Neuro-affirmative therapy designed around how your brain actually works
… so you can design your own neurodivergent-friendly life and shine
Neurodivergent checklist (sound familiar?)
Being told you think too much, or are too sensitive, reactive… too much
Being given unsolicited advice like “make lists” or “wake up earlier so you’re not late” - that just doesn’t match how your brain works
Being bullied, punished, ridiculed, isolated for your differences
Feeling stupid or behind
Sensory overload, executive function struggles, processing differences, struggling with unexpected changes and disruptions
Trouble figuring out or interpreting how you feel physically and emotionally
Feeling like you're failing at "simple" tasks everyone else manages, being called “unreliable”
Not fitting in, feeling unacceptable, too weird - linked to social exhaustion and feeling like you have to mask - which in turn comes with fatigue, burnout, and identity confusion
Struggling to say what you need and what your boundaries are
People (including therapists) trying to explain your experiences through neurotypical lens
What I wish more people understood (as a neuro-affirming therapist)
A lot of the world is set up to meet neurotypical, not neurodivergent needs.
Like how eye contact is seen as a universal sign of paying attention, but for you, looking elsewhere might actually help you focus.
Or how socialising and ‘getting out there’ are seen as signs of health or healing, but for you, they’re signs of people-pleasing and what might actually help is doing what you need - which may well be going home to your own space where you can just be.
Thing is, not being able to meet neurotypical expectations will almost inevitably send the message that there’s something wrong with you.
Either explicitly - like someone telling you that you just need to “try harder” when you bloody are, or implicitly - like being the only one who doesn’t seem to get a joke when everyone else around you is laughing (the joke was probably bad, but pretending to find a bad joke funny is second-nature to neurotypical people, whereas you might struggle to just go along with the whole situation without overthinking it).
The neuro-affirmative stance
I’ll let you in on a not-so-secret secret: People are scared of what is different because they don’t understand. And instead of trying to understand, they judge. Hello ableism, homophobia, transphobia, racism, and discrimination and oppression of all sorts.
Whether you’re autistic, have ADHD, or are neurodivergent in any other way, being neurodivergent doesn’t automatically mean you need therapy (say I, a neuro-affirming therapist!). In fact, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you, it’s just that your brain works differently.
So, you don’t need therapy for autism or therapy for ADHD as such - but existing in a neurotypical world is hard AF if you’re neurodivergent, and since people misunderstand you at best and demean you (if not worse) at worst, that’s where neuro-affirmative therapy comes in.
Not to fix your neurodivergence (there’s nothing to fix), but to undo the lifetime of trying (and naturally, failing) to essentially act neurotypical, and being criticised, bullied, abused for not managing this.
Because this stuff will affect your self-esteem and will make you question yourself so much that you don’t know who you are and how to live the life you actually want.
Neuro-Affirmative Therapy
… to give yourself permission to build and live the neurodivergent-friendly life that works for you
Which means we’ll work with the way your brain works instead of trying to fight it - and normalise how you experience the world while helping you carve out your little neurodivergent corner of the world in which you can just BE.
We’ll do in-the-moment stuff like helping you:
Learn more about how low mood or anxiety show up for you and how to ‘catch’ the signs before they slip into overstimulation and burnout
Know what to do if you get to the point of struggling (that works for your neurodivergent brain)
Be able to do stuff that helps you in the way it helps you even if it’s different to the neurotypical way
But we’ll also go deeper, exploring and working with:
Beliefs (your fear of being your true self and not being accepted, of not being good enough)
Wider contexts (the neurotypical world that has shaped the way you’ve learned to cope)
We’ll explore and get specific about how to shift things and move you forward in practical ways (think understanding where this stuff comes from AND learning to handle it differently). We’ll challenge what’s unhelpful and honour everything you’ve been through and how your brain works. We’ll do it all together, at your own pace, in your own way.
And we’ll get you to a place where you give yourself permission to be your authentic, real, maybe a lil’ quirky self and live the life you want.
More concretely: Evidence-based, skills-based therapy (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy / Cognitive Behavioural Therapy / Mindfulness). We’ll spend time both exploring and using active interventions to help you unhook from the “there’s something wrong with me” loop, so your true self has space to emerge and bloom.
You won’t hear me say s**t like…
"Have you tried making lists?"
"Everyone's a little bit ADHD/autistic"
"You just need better self-control"
"Just focus on the positive"
“You must know how you feel, just tell me” (and if you don’t, “you’re resistant”)
“Everyone knows how to do that” / “No one does that”
“You just need to challenge yourself/push through it”
Instead, you might discover how to…
Work with your brain instead of fighting it
Communicate your needs without apologising (and feeling like an idiot)
Recognise your strengths, not just your challenges (and there are many strengths, but they’re often not the ones that the neurotypical society appreciates)
Build a life that fits your actual brain and needs, not society's expectations
Unmask safely and authentically - when you feel ready (no pressure!)
Navigate sensory and executive function challenges with compassion
My values & approach
I’m both a mindfulness teacher and a cognitive behavioural therapist, and I also have a background in psychology and clinical neuroscience, with experience in academic research, clinical roles, and healthtech. I was also neurodivergence lead in my NHS service, and have attended trainings, read books, and learned from neurodivergent folks (professionals and clients) for many years.
I also think that all of that means squat if you don’t feel safe, heard, and understood by me. So, here’s what you can expect:
I use evidence-based, trauma-informed, affirming and inclusive approaches - no BS, airy-fairy stuff, and no cluelessness as to how the neurotypical world shapes the way neurodivergent people operate
I have an understanding of good research - I’ll know when old approaches have been disproven, or when new exciting discoveries have been made
I have practised mindfulness personally since 2015, and have had my own therapy, mostly based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) - so I know what it’s like to be on both sides
Humanity (I’ll never pretend to have it all figured out)
Imperfection (because no one is, and those who try probably make terrible therapists)
Openness (about what’s working and what isn’t, about what’s really going on, about… everything)
Silly sense of humour (because sometimes that’s the only thing that makes sense)
Interested in working together? I’m so glad!
You deserve a life that feels like yours.
Having said that, I know reaching out can be a bit of a nerve-racking (and also amazing) step. So, because everyone’s different, here are your options to get started (and a more detailed overview below):
If you feel most comfortable starting in writing, contact me via this form
If you’d like to see if we click live, book a free 15-min consultation
If you’ve decided you want to go straight for an initial session to explore things in a bit more depth, book it below
Therapy sessions: £125/session
Book in week by week
Online therapy so we can work together even if we live miles apart (apart from the US and Canada). And so you can show up in a familiar, comfy space, with a hot drink, and get to work with the best therapist for you, while getting the same benefits (research shows online therapy is just as effective as in person).
Here’s how it all works…
(Optional): Reach out in writing OR have a free 15-minute intro call
Everyone’s different - some people prefer to get a feel in writing first, others want to see if they connect with someone live. Or you might even be ready to try a first session directly. Choose what feels right for you!
Initial session (up to 60 minutes), during which we’ll discuss:
Current difficulties, some background and history, & impact on your daily life
Goals & previous experiences of therapy (if any) - what was helpful and what wasn’t
How this all may link together & how ACT/CBT could help
What you need to make this work best for you - and in fact, the first few sessions may just be centred on this - taking things bit by bit in a way that makes you feel safe and heard
Your first between-sessions task (on which we’ll both agree or maybe you’ll suggest)
Ongoing sessions (45-50 minutes, weekly - same day same time, 3-6 months or longer), during which we will:
Go deeper on our shared understanding of what may have led to development of your difficulties, and what may be keeping them going (called a ‘formulation’), to use as a basis for your treatment plan - all neurodivergent-affirmative of course
Use a variety of interventions (ACT/CBT/mindfulness) to support you in achieving your goals
Set a plan / agenda at the start of each session to keep us on track (but this is not fixed and we can adapt according to your needs)
Ending therapy:
We will discuss ending therapy a few sessions before the final one (and we will of course agree on this)
During this final session, or perhaps last two sessions, we will work together to produce a summary of important points and a plan for the future
FAQs
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Ok, let’s get this one out of the way as it’s an obvious one.
I don’t have a neurodivergence diagnosis myself. If that’s a make-or-break criterion for you, I completely get it.
While there are pros and cons to working with a neurodivergent/neurotypical therapist (respectively), I find that the most important thing is how we gel. So I’’d say if you’re on the fence, maybe just contact me or book a free intro call and take it from there - no pressure whatsoever.
If it helps, I have successfully worked with lots of neurodivergent clients and it has been some of the most meaningful work I’ve done.
I also do get overstimulated, have misophonia, hate disruptions to routine I’d carefully planned, have a small social battery, and other stuff. It’s not the same and I don’t claim it is, but I’m not an extroverted carefree gal either.
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It may be for you if:
You often find yourself feeling not good enough, bending to other people’s will, and feeling confused and stuck - and you’re tired of brushing it off or trying everything under the sun without anything changing
You’ve tried other approaches and they’ve left you feeling invalidated, confused, or stuck
You want a neuro-affirming therapist who, while always being on your side, will sometimes gently call you up on your BS to help you move forward
You want to live more authentically and are willing to put in some work for this to happen (working with your brain and honouring it, that is)
(and also, like I said, you can reach out in writing or book a free 15-min intro call to ‘vibe’-check :-)
It may not be for you if:
You want an open, explorative space with no structure, practical skills, exercises, or things to do between sessions
You want to get rid of your difficult thoughts and feelings altogether and only experience positives
You are not ready to at least consider honouring your neurodivergence, and want to get rid of it instead
You want an uber-’professional’, blank-slate kind of therapist who will nod in agreement to everything you say and never challenge you
You want a quick fix or expect that things will change by you attending a session a week and continuing as you are outside of it
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No. While I work with neurodivergent clients in a therapist capacity, I am not trained to offer diagnoses of any kind.
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Short answer - almost. The only limitation is that I can’t offer therapy to clients based in the US or Canada due to licensing (I’m based and accredited in the UK).
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I’m online-based only at the moment - so all sessions take place on Zoom. I love online therapy as research shows it’s just as effective as in-person therapy, but we can work together even if we live miles apart, and you get the comfort and flexibility that comes with it. As long as we both have good cameras and microphones, we can recreate most, if not all, of what we would do in a therapy room. You get high-quality therapy AND you can show up in a familiar, comfy space, with a hot drink.
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I mainly specalise in working with adult (18+) high-achieving introverts, neurodivergent, and LGBTQIA+ clients (separately or combined).
I also specialise in working with dog phobia - see here.
Having said that, I am highly trained in working with a range of mental health difficulties, including stress, depression, generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, health anxiety, social anxiety, low self-esteem, perfectionism, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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I generally do not work with people who present with severe and enduring mental health difficulties, including, for example, active symptoms of psychosis, or severe difficulties with emotional regulation - this is because such difficulties are best addressed in specialist services which consist of multi-disciplinary teams of clinicians.
Importantly and relatedly, I also do not work with people who are presenting with concerns related to their own safety or that of others - as in private practice I do not have access to professionals and facilities which would support managing such concerns, and therefore, it would be unsafe and unprofessional.
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I am not set up to provide crisis support, so I am not able to respond to any urgent queries between sessions, nor am I able to work with people who have concerns about their own safety or that of others.
If you are having such difficulties and are in the UK, please call 999 or go to A&E. You can also contact your GP or local NHS mental health service for urgent support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, text Shout to 85258, or use the Stay Alive mobile app.
If you are outside of the UK, please contact your local emergency services.
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I have quite a few, bit of a nerd here :-) The most relevant ones are my PgDip in Psychological Intervention (CBT) from the University of Surrey, which I then topped up with an MSc in Psychological Therapies from the University of Exeter, and my accreditation with the BABCP (British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies) as both therapist and supervisor. I also completed the Mindfulness Teacher Training Pathway with The Mindfulness Network/University of Bangor.
I’ve done lots of continuous professional development trainings in neurodivergence, as well as my own reading.
I also hold a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from the University of York, an MSc in Clinical Neuroscience from UCL, and plenty of experience - read more about me here
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The type of therapy I offer is evidence-based and structured, goals-oriented, and forward-focused.
We’ll do in-the-moment stuff like helping you:
Learn more about how low mood or anxiety show up for you and how to ‘catch’ the signs before they slip into overstimulation and burnout
Know what to do if you get to the point of struggling (that works for your neurodivergent brain)
Be able to do stuff that helps you in the way it helps you even if it’s different to the neurotypical way
But we’ll also go deeper, exploring and working with:
Beliefs (your fear of being your true self and not being accepted, of not being good enough)
Wider contexts (the neurotypical world that has shaped the way you’ve learned to cope)
We’ll explore and get specific about how to shift things and move you forward in practical ways (think understanding where this stuff comes from AND learning to handle it differently). We’ll challenge what’s unhelpful and honour everything you’ve been through and how your brain works. We’ll do it all together, at your own pace, in your own way.
Read more about ACT here.
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You’re definitely not alone! Talking to a complete stranger about your deepest thoughts and feelings can feel quite daunting when you think about it, and I really get that - and many clients tell me the same thing.
That’s why I offer a few options so you feel as comfortable as possible:
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Not at the moment, no. It means fewer limitations around logistics (like number of sessions) for you, too!
… and breathe. You may just have found a way to go from exhausted from trying to fit into a neurotypical world that was not made for you to giving yourself permission to live a life that not only feels more authentic but also celebrates your beautifully unique experiences and mind.
I’m here when you’re ready.
Also consider intensive therapy as an accelerated alternative to weekly sessions
Concentrated therapy sessions that work with neurodivergent brains.