Autism Counselling in Canberra
Neuro-affirming support for Autistic adults. No diagnosis required.
If you are looking for Autism counselling in Canberra it is likely that you have spent years sensing that something about the way you move through the world is different, perhaps feeling out of step socially, needing more time to process, or becoming easily overwhelmed in environments others seem to navigate with ease. You may have learned to adapt, to observe, to “get it right” on the outside, while privately carrying exhaustion, self-doubt, or a sense of not quite fitting. If you’ve found yourself here, there’s a good chance you’re not looking to be fixed, you’re looking to be understood, perhaps after being told – even by professionals – that you “don’t seem Autistic”.
As a trauma-informed, neuro-affirming counsellor with lived experience of Autism, my approach is grounded in respect for your experience and the meaning you’ve made of it. Whether you have a formal diagnosis, self-identify or are exploring a growing understanding that resonates, your perspective is valid here. Therapy becomes a space where you don’t have to educate, perform or translate yourself into something more acceptable. Instead, we can gently explore what supports your nervous system, your communication style, your relationships, and your sense of self – at your pace, in your language. This is about making room for who you already are, and building a life that fits you more comfortably, rather than asking you to keep fitting into something that doesn’t.
This is a space where you don’t have to explain yourself from scratch
I work with Autistic adults, many of whom came to that understanding of themselves later in life, whether through a formal diagnosis or through self-identification. Many have spent hours with professionals who are stuck with out-dated stereotypes of Autism and may have even denied their experience. Whilst recognising that everyone’s experience is unique, my understanding is aligned with current, Autistic-informed perspectives and the neurodiversity paradigm. I get the masking, (and the exhaustion that follows it), the sensory overwhelm, the social translation work, and the way criticism and rejection lands. I recognise the complexity of a late diagnosis that answers everything but somehow opens up a hundred new questions as well.
This understanding is backed by current and on-going learning and clinical experience, and it is also informed by lived experience. When you walk in (or log on) you won’t need to spend the first three sessions bringing me up to speed or defending your diagnosis. We can get straight to the work that matters to you.
What’s more, neuro-normative performance is not required. You don’t have to make eye contact, fill silences, or present your distress in a particular way. Our sessions are led entirely by you, what you bring, what you need, and we work at the pace that suits you.
You don’t need a formal diagnosis
Long waitlists and high costs are significant barriers for accessing formal diagnoses. There is no need to go without support while you wait. I work with self-identifying Autistic clients.
If you’ve arrived at a clear understanding of your experience through research, community, and recognition, that is valid. If you have already been through assessments only to be told you are not Autistic but you still feel this fits your experience, I will take that seriously.
I also work with people who are mid-assessment, or who are wondering whether Autism might be part of their picture and want a supportive space to explore that, possibly after a diagnosis of ADHD that doesn’t quite explain it all.
What brings Autistic adults to counselling?
Of course, there’s no single reason and clients come at different points on the path to Autistic identity. Some arrive in the immediate aftermath of a diagnosis, trying to make sense of a life history that’s suddenly being rewritten. Others have known for years and are dealing with the cumulative weight of navigating a world that wasn’t designed for them. Some are in burnout, feeling the deep, skill-losing, can’t-get-off-the-floor kind of exhaustion that doesn’t respond to a weekend of ‘self-care’. Some are navigating the identity questions that a late diagnosis opens up: “Who am I, actually, underneath all the masking and camouflaging?”
Some of the things we might work on together are:
- The grief and relief of late diagnosis: and the complex mix of both at once
- Autistic burnout: understanding it, recovering from it, and building a life with less of it
- Masking: the costs of it, what lies underneath it, and when and how to slowly unmask in a world that still expects performance
- Identity: diagnosis or self-identification shifts how you think of yourself, and possibly how you want others to see you
- Relationships: the ones that changed after diagnosis, the ones that make more sense now, and the ones you’re still trying to figure out
- Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD): that particular brand of hurt neurodivergent people feel in the face of criticism and perceived rejection and how to manage it
- Mental health symptoms: Anxiety, depression, and the ways they are often driven by an Autistic nervous system in a neurotypical world
- The AuDHD experience: navigating co-occurring Autism and ADHD, with all the contradictions that brings
- Life transitions: career, relationships, identity and how to move forward when the scaffolding of the familiar falls away
How I work
My approach is Humanistic, Person-centred, and Integrative. I follow your needs and use the approach that fits what you bring. Along with person-centred listening, approaches I draw from include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Parts Work, Motivational Interviewing, and creative approaches.
ACT in particular can be a useful fit for Autistic clients. Many clients have struggled with CBT in the past, trying to change the content of their thoughts. ACT works instead with your relationship to your thoughts and feelings rather than against them. For people who’ve spent years being told their thinking is the problem, that’s a genuinely different kind of conversation.
Autistic clients find the language of Parts Work can be especially meaningful as they often carry a fierce and familiar inner critic (the part that catalogues every misstep). Getting curious about that part, rather than being beaten down by it, often changes everything.
Sessions are as structured or as unstructured as you need. We can work with themes you bring, or sit with whatever’s present on the day. Homework is optional!
Ready to take the first step?
Book a free 15 minute call
Reaching out is the hardest part. You don't need to have it all figured out, or know exactly what you want to say. A tentative hello is enough.
But, a very important factor in the success of therapy is the relationship you have with your therapist.
I recommend prospective clients book a free 15 minute consultation to get a sense of whether we are a good fit before you commit. There's no obligation and no pressure.
Click the button below to access my online booking page and find a time that is convenient for you. We can speak by phone or video call.
Please note that I only see people 15 years old or over.
Please also check out my FAQs if you have other questions. They may be answered there.
Request contact by email
To contact me via email, please send a message via the contact form below.
A note for practitioners
GP, psychiatrist, psychologist, occupational therapist, allied health referrals
If you're a GP, psychiatrist, psychologist, occupational therapist, or allied health practitioner looking for a referral pathway for clients, I'd be glad to help. I work collaboratively and am happy to have a brief conversation before or after a referral to support continuity of care.
I also accept referrals for self- or plan-managed NDIS participants.
You can reach me directly on 0411 035 820 or via the contact form above.