Autism Therapy in Sheffield

Many of the people I work with are autistic. Often, this is something that they have only realised later in life, as a teenager, young adult or after having children diagnosed with autism or ADHD. Many people mask, and find ways to muddle through, but that can be exhausting and lonely. Recognising that you are autistic, or receiving a diagnosis, can bring mixed emotions: relief, permission to experience things differently, but also sadness, grief, or anger. It can be hard to work out what to do with that knowledge or what it means for you. I offer autism therapy in Sheffield for adults, with or without a diagnosis.

What is autism?

Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental difference, not an illness, and not something that needs fixing. There are differences in the way the brain develops, affecting the parts of the brain that relate to planning, organisation, sensory processing and regulating emotions. Autism also tends to affect how a person communicates, and experiences interactions with others. In practice, that means it influences the way you experience the world. In a world designed for the neurotypical brain, this can leave you feeling like there’s something fundamentally wrong with you.

Do I have autism? How do I know if I’m autistic?

The DSM‑5, which is used by many clinicians in the diagnostic process, divides autism into two broad categories that reflect the most consistent characteristics seen across the spectrum. A diagnosis looks at two areas, and both need to be present to some degree.

You might recognise some or all of the following traits:

• Finding it hard to follow or interpret conversations, perhaps because you need more time to process, aren’t suit what is expected or find it hard to read the other person’s expression. Some people struggle more with group conversations or if there are distractions around them.
• Finding eye contact difficult or uncomfortable.
• Struggling to read what others are thinking or know how to behave in social situations.
• Masking through consciously studying and copying other people’s expressions, tone and conversation scripts to fit in. This can include rehearsing conversations or facial expressions before they happen.
• Finding it hard to start friendships, or worrying that you are getting social situations wrong.
• Finding unpredictability stressful, and feeling anxious or distressed when plans change or your routine is shifted.
• Hypersensitivity to sensory input (being overwhelmed by inputs like noise, lights, smells or crowds), or hyposensitivity to sensory input (finding it hard to recognise signals like hunger, thirst or being too hot until it’s significantly affected your mood or emotions).
• Being soothed by repetitive movements, sounds or words, like rocking, tapping or repeating a phrase to self-soothe or when you are distressed.
• A special interest. This might be based around patterns and facts, for example a period of history or certain animals, but other examples include make-up, or collecting things like dolls, stationery or cuddly toys.

Many autistic people find socialising tiring or anxiety-inducing. Conversations can feel draining, eye contact can feel uncomfortable, and masking is exhausting. Many autistic people are quite literal thinkers which can make interpreting what others mean difficult and create self-doubt or criticism.

Routing and unpredictability can be a lot more stressful if you’re autistic. A special interest can help you feel calmer, not just distracted. Stimming, like rocking, tapping or repeating a phrase, helps you regulate or express how you’re feeling.

Noise, light, smell or crowds can feel overwhelming, and this often builds up throughout the day. You might feel like you tip into meltdown or shutdown suddenly, and for no obvious reason. Some autistic people also have alexithymia, which is difficulty identifying and naming your own emotions. You might not notice you’re hungry until it’s made you feel anxious or low, or be sure what to attribute your mood to or find it easier to talk about thoughts than feelings.

The Autism Spectrum

Autism is often described as being on a spectrum from mild to severe:

It’s often more helpful to things about is more as a profile: everyone has their own pattern of strengths and difficulties across things like communication, sensory processing, routine and social interaction. Someone might find focus and attention straightforward but struggle hugely with sensory processing, while someone else experiences the opposite. Autism can also coexist with learning disabilities, or other physical or mental health conditions that can’t always be separated out.
You can be autistic and also have ADHD. Sometimes the term AuDHD is used informally to describe this.

Autism in women and girls: what can make it harder to recognise.

Autism was researched mostly in boys for decades, and a lot of diagnostic tools still reflect that. In practice, that means many women and girls are missed, or given a different diagnosis first, often anxiety, depression, an eating disorder or borderline personality disorder, before anyone considers autism.

Girls often learn to mask very effectively, for lots of different reasons. Copying friends closely, rehearsing conversations in advance, forcing eye contact, and having interests that look more typical from the outside (a particular author, a boy band, horses) rather than obviously unusual, makes autism harder to spot. Women and girls are also more likely to internalise their struggles, so they can seem to be coping to everyone around them, sometimes even to professionals.

Many of the women I see are diagnosed later in life, often when things get harder to hold together: during A-levels, after leaving home, when their own children are diagnosed, or after burnout.

Autistic masking and the autism iceberg

What other people see is often only the top of the iceberg: someone who seems quiet, awkward or fine. Underneath, there can be a lot of overwhelm, loneliness and shame, and masking keeps much of it hidden.

Realising you’re autistic as an adult

Realising you’re autistic as an adult can feel overwhelming. You might feel relief at being able to explain why things are how they are. Many people find themselves reflecting on life up to now, on school, relationships, jobs and family. It can also be very hard. Some people feel grief for things that could have been different, and that they spent so long feeling like they were somehow wrong or bad. You might also feel angry that people missed it. It’s common to doubt yourself too, wondering if you’re really autistic or just making excuses. It can also really shake your sense of self, and many people struggle with who the “real” version of them is.

How autism therapy can help

Research increasingly shows that standard counselling approaches don’t always work well for autistic people, which can reinforce the belief that there is something wrong with you. If therapy hasn’t helped before, that’s not because you were too difficult, resistant, or doing something wrong. Many therapy models are built around assumptions that fit a neurotypical brain, not yours. Some of the things I aim for in this work include:

Instead of trying to fix you, neuroaffirmative therapy is about empowering and supporting you. This often includes:

• Accepting yourself so that you have more space to do what matters to you and make the changes that feel important.
• Learning about your sensory needs and autistic traits, and finding ways to work with these.
• Understanding your own patterns, and building flexibility to make changes to routine easier to cope with.
• Working through past experiences, like being misunderstood, missed, or treated as if something was wrong with you.
• Working with shame, guilt or a sense of being bad, broken or different.
• Making sense of who you are and working in line with your values.
• Finding ways of coping with overwhelming emotions or situations that cause you stress.
• Finding ways to feel more connected with other people.

Why working outdoors can help if you’re autistic

As well as working in my therapy room, I offer therapy outdoors in Sheffield and the Peak District. Many autistic people find this easier than sitting in a room. It gives you an opportunity to think and process in a different way that can feel slightly less formal. There isn’t really a right way to process, or to explain what’s happening for you. The important thing is that you feel able to communicate in a way that makes you feel understood.

Being outdoors, and moving in the outdoors, helps with that. It can help calm your nervous system, and it takes the pressure off making eye contact or filling the silences. Walking side by side can feel less intense than sitting opposite someone. Movement comes naturally too, so you can walk, fidget, pick up a leaf or turn a stick over in your hands while you think. Being connected with nature is really grounding.

We always work in the same location, so you know what to expect. In our first session, we’ll talk about how you feel about being outdoors, including walking, different weather and environment, so we can find the location and pace that work for you. If you want to try the Peak District but don’t feel sure about the terrain, we can start in Sheffield and build up from there. Some people split their sessions between the therapy room and outdoors. That depends on my availability, so get in touch and I’ll let you know what is possible.

Autism Therapy: How I work

I bring specialist knowledge and training in autism, including sensory awareness and regulation and eating disorders. I understand how different being autistic can look from person to person. Most of us can’t neatly describe what we’re struggling with in just one label or as one clear problem. Instead, our experiences overlap, change over time, and interact, making it hard to know where to begin. Rather than trying to fit you into a box, we will take time to notice and understand what is happening for you so that we can work with the whole picture.

I work in a neuroaffirmative way, and adapt therapy to meet your specific strengths and needs, instead of using a one size fits all approach. Creating a safe and comfortable space is part of the work. That includes working with your communication style, whether eye contact feels comfortable, whether moving or fidgeting helps you think, how much time or space you need, whether you would like more direct questions from me, lighting, pace, and how sessions are structured.

I use tools like sensory profiling and psychoeducation, so you’ve got a clearer picture of what being autistic means for you day to day. I draw on approaches like CBT, DBT and ACT, adapted to fit you. If something isn’t working, we’ll change what we’re doing.

What will autism therapy sessions look like?

We will start by getting a sense of what’s going on for you: your sensory preferences, your strengths, and what you’ve already tried. The first sessions are about building trust and helping you to feel safe and heard. From there, we set goals together. You might have a clear idea of what you want, or you might just know you want things to be different. That might mean coping with sensory overload, reducing burnout, working with your own energy rather than against it, or building ways of communicating that actually fit you.

The type of work varies depending on what you need. It can include psychoeducation, sensory or environmental strategies for daily life, and practical tools for planning, organising or unmasking safely. Sometimes it is structured work using tools from CBT, DBT or ACT, or more specialist where it’s needed. I use these tools flexibly and adapt them to how you work. Some sessions are led by you and what’s happening right now, others work towards longer term goals. Sometimes there are things to try between sessions, to help keep things moving.

We will check in regularly on your goals, what is working and what feels difficult. Sometimes I’ll lead and sometimes you will, but we keep the bigger picture in mind throughout, working towards what you came here for. When you feel ready to finish therapy, we will wind down sessions, giving time to reflect on the work we’ve done and think about how you will manage challenges.

Questions you may have about autism therapy

Starting therapy

I offer a no cost 30 minute initial consultation by telephone, Zoom or face to face. It’s a chance to talk about what’s going on and work out together whether I’m the right fit.

Starting where you are right now, we will develop a way of working that feels right for you.

We will start with a no cost 25 minute initial consultation by phone, Zoom or face to face. You can contact me by email, telephone, WhatsApp or text to arrange this. During the consultation we’ll talk about what’s going on for you and I’ll explain how I work. You can then take time to decide whether you would like to work together. There’s no pressure, but I’d be happy to hear from you.