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Autism & ADHD counselling in Frome & Wiltshire.

 
Specialist trauma counselling for autistic and neurodivergent people navigating anxiety, shutdown, and emotional overwhelm. 

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If you’re autistic, ADHD, or think you might be neurodivergent, therapy can often feel frustrating, especially if you’ve felt misunderstood or expected to fit into approaches that don’t work for you.

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You might feel overwhelmed, shut down, or as your nervous system flips between too much and nothing at all.

 

I offer neurodivergent-affirming therapy in Frome, Westbury, Warminster and across Wiltshire and Somerset, supporting adults and teens (15+) who feel overwhelmed, burnt out, anxious or shut down.

 

You might be experiencing:

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  • Burnout or chronic overwhelm

  • Shutdowns or difficulty functioning

  • Anxiety or panic

  • Masking and exhaustion

  • Feeling misunderstood or “too much”

  • Difficulty identifying or expressing emotions

  • Sensory overwhelm

  • Cycles of pushing through and then crashing

 

You may have spent years adapting to the world around you, often at your own expense.

 

Traditional counselling doesn’t always work well for neurodivergent people. You might have found: it moves too fast, it focuses too much on talking, it doesn’t take sensory or processing differences into account.

 

My approach is different. I work in a way that is: slower and more attuned, adapted to your communication style, grounded in nervous system understanding, flexible and collaborative. Many neurodivergent people live in a constant state of overwhelm or shutdown, fight or flight, which is working against their nervous systems. Rather than trying to “fix” this, we work to understand your system and support it.

 

This might include:

  • Recognising early signs of overwhelm

  • Building regulation in a way that works for you

  • Understanding shutdown and freeze responses

  • Working with sensory needs

  • Exploring patterns without pressure

  • Learning tools and techniques 

  • Understanding trauma and neurodivergence

 

There is often a strong link between trauma and neurodivergence. This can come from: feeling misunderstood, masking for long periods, sensory overload, or difficult experiences in school, relationships or family

 

We can work gently with both trauma and neurodivergence, without forcing you into approaches that don’t fit.

 

What to expect

 

You don’t need to: explain everything perfectly, make eye contact, have the right words, push yourself beyond your limits. We will work at your pace, in a way that feels manageable and safe.

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How I work

  • Trauma-trained (not just trauma-informed)

  • Experience with autism, ADHD, and OCD

  • Specific training on neurodiversity

  • Somatic/nervous system-based work

  • Tailored to your processing style

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​My work is grounded in trauma-specific and somatic approaches. This means we don’t just talk about what’s happening, we work with how it shows up in your body, your nervous system, and your day-to-day experience.

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Frequently asked questions

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Why doesn’t talking counselling always work?

  • Because trauma is often held in the body and nervous system, not just thoughts.

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Do I need to talk about everything?

  • No. We go at your pace, and you don’t need the right words.

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Is this counselling adapted for autistic or ADHD clients?

  • Yes. I work in ways that adapt to how your mind and body process things.

  • This might mean going at a slower pace, reducing pressure to talk, and working more with your nervous system rather than expecting you to fit a traditional therapy model.

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What if I find it hard to explain how I feel?​

  • That’s completely okay.

  • You don’t need the right words or a clear explanation. We can work with what’s happening in your body, your reactions, or patterns you’ve noticed, without needing to put everything into language.

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Do I have to make eye contact or talk constantly?

  • ​No.

  • You don’t need to make eye contact, talk the whole time, or present yourself in a certain way. Sessions are adapted to feel as comfortable and manageable as possible for you.

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What if I shut down or feel overwhelmed in sessions?

  • ​This is something we can work with together.

  • Rather than pushing through, we focus on recognising what’s happening and helping your system feel safer and more regulated.

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Is this suitable if I’m burnt out?

  • ​Yes.

  • Many of the people I work with are in burnout or close to it. Sessions can be slower, more spacious, and focused on reducing overwhelm rather than adding more pressure.

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Do I need a diagnosis?

  • ​No.

  • You don’t need a formal diagnosis to work with me. If you identify with being autistic, ADHD, or neurodivergent in some way, that’s enough.

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How is this different from standard counselling?

  • ​Traditional counselling often focuses mainly on talking.

  • My approach also works with your nervous system, sensory experience, and patterns of overwhelm or shutdown, which can be especially important for neurodivergent clients.

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You can also read more about how I work here

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I have both professional training and personal insight into neurodiversity, which means I understand how overwhelming, misunderstood, or exhausting the world can feel at times.

 

Session information

 

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