FINDING CLARITY

You can bring anything to sessions with me, and my aim is to meet you where you are in terms of the scope and complexity of what you want to bring.

A neurodivergent experience is often one of hiding or making ourselves smaller to be socially acceptable. I have been in too many spaces where I felt my experience was either dismissed for being too trivial or judged for being too deep. I want this to be a conversation in which you feel it's OK to share what matters to you, however big or small it seems.

That said, in a single 90 minute session, there is only so much we can cover! Please be mindful about bringing topics which you know will be traumatic or triggering for you.

This session is best suited to things like:

• seeing if you like the way I work before committing to a package of sessions

• unpacking a single issue such as managing anxiety around a return to work, setting a boundary with a family member, exploring ways to get going on a project that you keep procrastinating about, and so on

• talking through what next after a diagnosis of ADHD or Autism

• deciding whether to pursue a diagnosis of ADHD or Autism

• coaching around what to include in an application for Access to Work funding

Neuro-affirming therapy and coaching starts from the belief that there is nothing wrong with you. Being Autistic or having ADHD isn't a problem to be fixed:  it's a different way of experiencing and moving through the world.

A lot of people come to me having spent years being told (directly or indirectly) that they need to mask, adapt, or push through. Neuro-affirming work is the opposite of that. It means we work with how your brain is wired, not against it.

In practice, that looks like:

• No pathologising. I won't treat your neurodivergence as a disorder to be managed. We'll explore the challenges you're facing without framing you as the problem.

• Your goals, your pace. Sessions are shaped around what matters to you, not a one-size-fits-all programme designed for neurotypical people.

• Honesty about masking and burnout. If you've been performing a version of yourself for a long time, we can gently explore what it might feel like to stop, and what support you need to do that safely.

• Practical and flexible. I know that executive function, sensory sensitivities, and energy fluctuations are real. The way we work together will reflect that.

• Accommodating your needs. I’m always open to things that help you to feel more comfortable in sessions. So that could be having your camera off, taking breaks, getting up and moving around, using fidget toys, stimming, not making eye contact and so on.

Put simply: you don't need to arrive here having already figured yourself out. You just need to show up as you are.

No, you do not have to be neurodivergent to work with me, and you certainly don’t need a formal diagnosis.

Some people in the neurodivergent community are not comfortable with the idea of a diagnostic process that is based on a medical model of deficit, and prefer to self identify as a particular neurotype. Others would like to receive a formal diagnosis but face structural barriers such as the high cost, fear of discrimination, or prejudice within their community.

You can work with me at whatever stage you are in your thinking about whether or not to pursue a diagnosis, and this is one of the topics I often coach clients on.

Yes, I do work with neurotypical clients. However, many clients who seek my help would say that they are highly sensitive, and they may be curious about whether aspects of ADHD and / or Autism explain some of their experiences.

I also work with clients who have children or other family members who are neurodivergent, and who want to better understand how to support them.

I mainly work with women and AFAB (Assigned Female at Birth) clients, but you are very welcome to contact me if what I offer resonates with you but you do not identify with these labels.

I have a special interest in major life and hormonal transitions for women around motherhood and menopause. My background is in pre / post natal support (I was a pregnancy yoga and hypnobirthing teacher for many years) and I have specialist training in and over 10 years’ experience of therapeutic coaching for matrescence (the transition to motherhood).

While I have extensive experience of working with neurodivergent clients, and an academic background in psychology, I cannot formally assess you for ADHD or Autism. I can, however, help you to make sense of your experiences through a neurodivergent lens, and decide if pursuing a diagnosis would be worthwhile.

One session can be enough if what you are bringing is a specific topic that can be addressed through a focused coaching approach (mainly looking at the here and now, rather than going into the past). For areas in your life that require more ‘unpacking’ such as traumatic experiences, intimate relationships, parenting challenges, unmasking and so on, I would recommend a longer term package of support - then we can move between the different lenses of therapy and coaching (which is still about what you need right now, but with more scope to explore how things came to be the way they are).

Yes, absolutely, clients often decide to do longer term work with me after they have a feel for who I am and how I work after a single session.