I feel strongly about providing counselling services that are accessible and supportive to all of my clients. I think it’s really important to take each person’s individual needs into account and work to create a counselling relationship that respects and supports those needs. In particular, I pride myself on running a neurodivergent-affirming counselling practice that celebrates individual differences and puts your needs first. Let’s explore some of the ways that I do this:

Education and experience

Before I was a counsellor, I worked in paediatric allied health. Most of the clients I worked with during this time were neurodivergent and I learned so much in that role. I gained a really good understanding of how unique each person’s needs are, the options that I could offer to help them feel more comfortable and the ways I could adapt services to be more accessible for them. I’ve also spent a lot of time studying Autism and ADHD and have a wealth of knowledge on these topics. I can draw upon this expertise to adapt my counselling approach to suit your needs and help you to feel safe, comfortable and supported.

Flexible service delivery

I offer a range of options for accessing counselling services, and I’m happy to adapt my sessions to suit you. I provide most of my sessions using online video chat, so we can see one another while we’re talking. However, lots of people prefer to turn their camera off during our sessions, and that’s OK too. Having online counselling appointments means that you don’t have to travel to attend your appointments and you can remain in your own space. You might prefer to have your sessions whilst in bed, sprawled on the floor or sitting in your favourite beanbag. You can also have any comfort objects nearby to help you to regulate and self-soothe during our sessions.

In my face-to-face sessions, I make sure to have fidget toys on hand and I can also adapt the room to your needs. For example, some clients prefer soft background music, while others want absolute silence. I can easily accommodate these needs and others to help you to feel comfortable and safe.

I can also adapt our communication in-between sessions to suit your needs. So if you hate talking on the phone, I can make sure to email or text you important information instead of calling.

Person centered counselling

I work from a person-centered perspective, which means that your needs are always my top priority. I’ll take some time to get to know you and understand your goals for counselling so that we can work on the things that are most important to you. Our sessions together will be led by you, so we don’t have to discuss topics that you’re uncomfortable with or that aren’t relevant.

Centering the client also allows me to gain a deep understanding of how you see the world, your unique challenges, values and needs. Person-centered counselling operates on the idea that each person is the expert of their own life, which helps maintain your autonomy and keeps you in charge of the process.

Strength-based practice

When figuring out how to navigate the counselling process, I keep my client’s strengths at the front of my mind. I like to focus on the things a person does well, their talents and skills, what resources are available to them, to help find interventions and approaches that feel natural and accessible. I find this to be a more empowering and sustainable approach than trying to identify and “fix” a client’s perceived weaknesses. Together, we’ll figure out the things that you’re good at, the skills you already have in your toolbox and build upon these to find solutions and techniques that work best for you.

If you’ve been looking for a neuro-spicy-friendly counsellor to work with you, please feel encouraged to get in touch to book an appointment or ask a question.