Neurodivergent Therapy in Colchester and Online

Maybe you’ve always felt a bit different

Perhaps you’ve spent years being told you’re too much, too sensitive, too disorganised, or that you’d manage if you just tried harder. Perhaps you did try harder, for a long time, and it cost you more than anyone could see.

Many of the neurodivergent adults I work with describe something similar: an exhausting effort to keep up, a harsh inner critic, and a sense of never quite fitting. Some were bright, capable children whose struggles were missed. Others were noticed, but misunderstood and blamed on their character.

None of this means something is wrong with you. Often it means you’ve been living in a world that wasn’t built for the way your mind works, and adapting with whatever strategies were available.

What neuro-affirming therapy means to me

Neuro-affirming therapy starts from the view that ADHD and autism are differences, not defects. Our work isn’t about making you more “normal” or teaching you to mask more effectively. It’s about understanding how your brain, your history, your relationships and your environment fit together, so you can stop fighting yourself quite so much.

In practice, that means being curious about what works for you rather than assuming. Sessions can be flexible. You’re welcome to move, fidget, have your camera off for part of an online session, take a moment when you need it, or tell me when something isn’t landing. If clear structure helps, we can build that in. If you’d rather write something down than say it, that’s fine too.

What we might work on

• Late diagnosis or self-recognition. Making sense of relief, grief and anger, and rewriting the story you’ve told about yourself.
• Masking and burnout. Noticing when you’re performing a version of yourself, what it costs, and what it might be like to do it a little less.
• Rejection sensitivity. Understanding why criticism, or even the hint of it, can hit so hard, and where that sensitivity was shaped.
• Emotional intensity, shutdown and overwhelm. Getting to know big feelings and overload, rather than being swept away by them or ashamed of them.
• Sensory needs and everyday life. Finding ways of living, working and resting that suit your nervous system instead of fighting it.
• Relationships. Patterns with partners, friends and family, including feeling misunderstood, or being cast as the “difficult” one.
• Self-worth. Untangling years of criticism and the belief that you’re fundamentally failing.

ADHD, autism, or both?

Many people aren’t sure which description fits, and plenty recognise themselves in both. ADHD and autism overlap more than is often realised, and having both, sometimes called AuDHD, can feel like living with two sets of needs that pull in different directions: craving novelty and needing routine, seeking stimulation and being overwhelmed by it.

You don’t need to have worked out which it is before we meet. What matters more is how your mind works, what’s hard, and what helps.

Why relationships are at the heart of my work

I’m a relational therapist, so I’m interested in how your early experiences and relationships have shaped the way you see yourself and connect with others now. For many neurodivergent adults, growing up misunderstood leaves a deep mark on how safe it feels to be yourself with other people. Often that’s where much of the pain lives, more than in the neurodivergence itself.

Therapy gives us a chance to explore that in a relationship where you’re taken seriously, and where your experience makes sense.

Do I need a diagnosis?

No. I work with adults who have a diagnosis, those on a waiting list, and those who simply recognise themselves in descriptions of ADHD or autism. I don’t diagnose, but therapy can be a good place to explore those questions and what they mean for you. I’ve written more about this in Do I Need an ADHD Diagnosis Before Starting Therapy?

A little about me

I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, which helped me make sense of long-standing patterns in my own life. Alongside my BA (Hons) in Integrative Therapy, I’ve undertaken further training in supporting neurodivergent adults. I’m an accredited member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). Read more about me.

Sessions and fees

Sessions are £70 for 50 minutes, in person in Colchester, online by video, or by telephone. If you’d like to ask a question first, or just see how it feels to talk, please get in touch.