1.
Neurodivergent Affirming Counselling
Discovering you're autistic later in life can bring profound relief — finally, there’s a framework that explains so much. But this recognition can also stir up complex emotions: grief for the years spent misunderstood, anger at missed support, confusion about how to move forward, and fear about what embracing this identity might mean.
You may find yourself questioning past experiences, relationships, or life choices through a new lens. You might feel both the liberation of self-understanding and the weight of internalised ableism or societal stigma. It’s a tender, often disorienting process and it deserves space, compassion, and care.
Many late-identified autistic adults arrive at counselling already in (or recovering from) autistic burnout. This isn’t just stress or fatigue. It’s a deep depletion of mind, body, and spirit, often rooted in years of masking, sensory strain, unmet needs, and navigating environments that don’t support your neurotype.
Burnout can affect every part of life, from emotional regulation to sensory tolerance, executive functioning, and self-worth. In our work together, we’ll gently explore how burnout shows up for you and support your recovery through nervous system regulation, sustainable boundaries, and practices that honour your needs and rhythms.
Healing from burnout is possible, and learning to live in a way that truly fits your neurotype is a vital part of long-term wellbeing.
At Karuna Therapeutic Services, I support late-identified autistic adults in exploring this journey at your own pace.
Together, we can hold space for grief, celebrate moments of self-discovery, and begin to gently weave a future that reflects who you truly are. Counselling here is collaborative, non-pathologising, and neuroaffirming. We work toward integration — meaning a deeper connection between mind, body, emotion, and identity, so that you can move forward with greater self-trust and clarity.
Our sessions might involve talking, reflection, and exploration, but also practical tools and body-based approaches. I integrate traditional psychotherapeutic counselling with somatic methods such as breathwork, EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), parts work, and nervous system awareness. These approaches can be particularly supportive for autistic adults who experience sensory overwhelm, shutdowns, or a sense of disconnection from their bodies.
What Our Work Together Might Look Like:
Counselling with me is flexible, relational, and shaped by what you need most. Together, we might explore:
-
Making sense of your late identification
-
Processing grief, anger, relief, or confusion
-
Understanding and recovering from autistic burnout
-
Exploring masking, unmasking, and authentic living
-
Rebuilding trust in your body and sensory experiences
-
Strengthening boundaries, self-advocacy, and inner safety
-
Cultivating self-compassion and embracing neurodivergent needs
-
Creating a life that honours who you are
You don’t need to have it all figured out. We’ll go at a pace that feels safe, steady, and true to you.
The fact that you are here, reading this, means you’ve already taken your first step toward change. That change can feel unsettling, even frightening at times, but it can also be life-affirming.
You don’t have to navigate this alone. Use the contact form below or head to the Book Online page to schedule a free 15-minute consultation. I’d be honoured to walk alongside you on this journey.
