Counselling for neurodivergent individuals is often tailored to their specific experiences and can help create an environment that is both accepting and empowering. Counselling can be incredibly beneficial for individuals with Neurodivergence (ND), such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, or other neurological differences. Neurodivergent people often face unique challenges in areas like communication, social interactions, sensory sensitivities, and emotional regulation.

Counselling can offer support in the following ways:

1. Emotional Regulation: Helping individuals manage intense emotions, stress, and frustration in a healthy way.

2. Social Skills Development: Assisting with understanding and navigating social cues, building better communication skills, and fostering relationships.

3. Self-Acceptance and Confidence: Supporting individuals in embracing their neurodivergent traits, improving self-esteem, and reducing feelings of isolation or inadequacy.

4. Coping Strategies: Providing tools for managing sensory overload, anxiety, or other challenges related to neurodivergence.

5. Problem-Solving and Organisation: Helping with executive functioning issues like time management, prioritisation, and task completion.

6. Navigating Life Transitions: Assisting with life changes (e.g., school, work, or relationships) and providing guidance for adjusting to new environments or expectations.

7. Supporting Families: Offering guidance to families and caregivers on how to best support a neurodivergent individual’s needs.

A Trauma-Informed Practice in counselling refers to an approach where the counsellor understands, recognises, and responds to the effects of trauma in a way that prioritises the safety, trust, and well-being of the client. It is based on the understanding that trauma can have profound and lasting effects on an individual's mental, emotional, and physical health, and thus requires specialised care and sensitivity in therapeutic settings.

In trauma-informed counselling, the focus is not just on addressing symptoms but also on creating a safe and supportive environment where clients feel empowered and validated as they explore their trauma-related experiences.

Key Principles of Trauma-Informed Practice:

1. Safety: Ensuring physical and emotional safety for the client. This includes creating a safe, welcoming environment and respecting boundaries.

2. Trustworthiness and Transparency: Building trust by being transparent in how therapy is conducted, setting clear expectations, and being consistent in actions and words.

3. Peer Support: Acknowledging the value of community and support from others who have experienced trauma or similar struggles, whether in group therapy or other social settings.

4. Collaboration and Empowerment: Fostering a partnership between the counsellor and the client, where the client is empowered to take an active role in their healing process and is given choices and control over the direction of therapy.

5. Cultural, Historical, and Gender Sensitivity: Understanding the impact of cultural, historical, and gender factors on a client’s trauma and healing process. Counsellors should be aware of the diverse ways that trauma may manifest across different populations.

6. Avoiding Re-traumatisation: Ensuring that therapeutic practices and interventions do not unintentionally re-trigger or worsen the client's trauma, which could hinder the healing process.

How does Trauma-Informed Counselling work?:

The overall goal of a trauma-informed practice is to create a safe and supportive environment that fosters healing, empowerment, and long-term recovery for those affected by trauma.

I work somatically with my clients if appropriate.

Somatic therapy in trauma counselling refers to the practice of using the body to help process and heal from trauma. Somatic approaches are based on the idea that trauma is not just stored in the mind but also in the body. When we experience traumatic events, our bodies can become physically and emotionally "stuck" in the trauma. This can manifest as tension, pain, or other physical symptoms that are tied to the emotional and psychological impact of trauma.

How Somatic Therapy Works in Trauma Counselling: Somatic therapy involves a range of techniques that help clients reconnect with their bodies, release stored trauma, and re-establish a sense of safety and control. It often focuses on body awareness, physical sensations, and breathing to unlock and process emotional and physical trauma.

A CYP (Children and Young People) counsellor offers mental health support tailored to the unique needs of children, teenagers, and young adults. They focus on helping young people navigate emotional, psychological, and behavioural challenges, often related to issues such as:

I work with a range of therapeutic techniques, such as talk therapy, play therapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), and other child-focused approaches to help them express their feelings, develop coping skills, and improve their emotional well-being. The aim is to provide a safe space where young people feel understood and supported.