How should therapists adapt the counselling services they offer to be equipped to work with the specific needs, behaviours, ways of thinking and processing, that neurodivergent clients might present with?
There’s a lot to think about. By undergoing training in neurodiversity, in the first instance; continuing professional development in the form of conferences and seminars can be of huge benefit in exploring new thinking and particular interests in serving specific demographics.
Having lived experience is always going to be helpful, despite it being drummed into us during our initial training that unconditional positive regard means we can counsel anyone – well yes, technically and often very effectively, absolutely we can! We should be carrying no assumptions or prejudices into our work, after all.
That said, there are times when a client will be reassured by the knowledge that their counsellor is, say, recognised as autistic or ADHD just like they are. It’s important to note that the same is true of other groups in society for whom life involves a history of being misunderstood, marginalised and treated badly in other ways as well.
Staying informed about current research is essential, as is creating inclusive and sensory-friendly therapeutic spaces. There has to be flexibility and a willingness to adapt, to ‘think outside the box’ in order to enhance support for neurodivergent clients and ensure their comfort while helping with focus. Some clients presenting with autism and ADHD traits may well struggle, for example, with the default template of 50-60-minute sessions where client and therapist sit opposite each other.
Counselling services could be made more inclusive and welcoming by offering clients the ability to book half-hour slots. Let them know they can get up and move around whenever they feel like it. A reminder text sent out the day before an appointment might be appreciated by some people for whom executive function is less than optimal.
Standard talking therapies often don’t work for people who are autistic or have ADHD traits, who experience challenges with these traditional approaches because of differences in communication styles, sensory processing and social interaction. Exploring sensory-based interventions and visual aids, or incorporating clients’ preferred communication methods, can tailor support with the aim of addressing clients’ unique needs.
Ask: are there any adaptations you need, anything to be provided or the presence of avoided, to make this experience work for you? Be welcoming of surprises, prepared to experiment and innovate. If something works, great; if it doesn’t, ditch it.
xph therapy offers integrative counselling, which means working with multiple therapy types, including CBT, psychotherapeutic and person-centred to develop a therapeutic pathway just for you, whatever outcome you’re hoping to achieve. Get in touch in a variety of ways. See the contact page for more info.