ADHD, autism & AuDHD counselling

Maybe you’ve spent your whole life knowing you’re somehow different.

You might be brilliant at complicated things and completely floored by apparently simple ones. Perhaps you’re exhausted from masking, overwhelmed by everyday life, incredibly sensitive to rejection, permanently trying to catch up – or wondering why everyone else seems to have been given an instruction manual that you somehow missed.

Maybe you’ve recently realised you’re ADHD, autistic or AuDHD and suddenly huge chunks of your life make sense.

There can be enormous relief in that. But there can also be grief, anger and a fair amount of “How the fuck did nobody notice?”

Or perhaps you’ve known you’re neurodivergent for years. Knowing why your brain works differently doesn’t magically make everything easy.

I offer neurodivergence-affirming counselling for ADHD, autistic and AuDHD adults who want to understand themselves rather than spend their lives trying to become someone they’re not.

Discovering you’re neurodivergent later in life

Finding out you’re ADHD, autistic or AuDHD as an adult can be a massive “Ohhhhh… that explains a lot” moment.

Suddenly you’re looking back at school, work, friendships, relationships, burnout, things you’ve struggled with and things you’ve been bloody brilliant at – but perhaps never understood why.

There can be relief and validation in finally having an explanation. But it can also bring grief, anger and regret. You might wonder how different things could have been if you’d known earlier, or feel angry that nobody noticed how hard you were working just to keep up.

You might start questioning what’s actually you and what’s masking. You might notice how much of your life has been built around keeping other people comfortable, hiding things you find difficult or forcing yourself to cope.

And then there’s the question: what do I do with this information now?

That’s something we can explore together – not with the aim of creating a newer, shinier, more efficient version of you, but of understanding yourself better and finding ways to live that don’t require quite so much effort.

And you don’t need a formal diagnosis to work with me. Self-identification is welcome, whether you’re waiting for an assessment, don’t want one, can’t access one, or are simply beginning to wonder whether neurodivergence might be part of your story.

Understanding yourself – and what comes next

Understanding your neurodivergence isn’t about finding another label to squeeze yourself into. It’s about having a better explanation for why some things have always been difficult, recognising what you actually need, and letting go of some of the shame that can come from years of feeling like you should simply be able to cope.

In therapy, we might explore masking, burnout, rejection sensitivity, overwhelm, relationships, boundaries, self-esteem, people-pleasing or perfectionism. Or we might work on something completely different that’s happening in your life – being neurodivergent doesn’t mean everything is about your neurodivergence.

The aim isn’t to make you better at appearing neurotypical. It’s to help you understand yourself, work with your brain rather than constantly fighting it, and build a life that fits you better.

You don’t have to have everything figured out before you contact me. If something here has made you think “Yep. That’s me”, that’s enough of a place to start.

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As a registered BACP member, I work within the BACP Ethical Framework

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ali@alipress.uk | +44 (0) 7704 439662