Autism Therapy for Adults
Therapy with me is grounded in respect for who you already are. The work isn't to make you act less autistic, it's to help you understand yourself more clearly, build a life that fits your nervous system, and unwind the stress, masking, and self-judgment that often come from years of trying to fit a neurotypical mold.
I work with autistic adults across diagnostic identification, post-diagnosis adjustment, masking and burnout recovery, sensory regulation, navigating relationships and work, and co-occurring concerns like anxiety, depression, or ADHD.
What I help with
- Late-identified autism (diagnosed or self-identified in adulthood)
- Autistic burnout and recovering from chronic masking
- Sensory regulation and reducing daily overwhelm
- Navigating workplaces, friendships, and relationships as an autistic adult
- Communication patterns and unmasking selectively
- AuDHD (the autism and ADHD experience together)
- Co-occurring anxiety, depression, or trauma
- Internalized ableism and reclaiming your sense of self
- Autistic parents navigating parenting and a child's diagnosis
How I work in this space
My practice is neurodiversity-affirming. Autism is not a problem to be fixed in our work; it's the operating system we're working with. The therapy is trauma-informed because masking and chronic invalidation often leave their mark. It's structured around your actual sensory and processing needs, not a neurotypical default.
Sessions can lean more written, more verbal, lower-arousal, or slower depending on what you need. I draw on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for what to do with overwhelm and self-criticism, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for unhelpful narrative work, and skills from Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for emotional regulation when those fit. We go at your pace.
In-person in Kelowna or securely online for clients across British Columbia. Some autistic clients find online sessions comfortable: the familiar environment, the regulated sensory load, and the option to bring stims, pets, or other regulation tools into the room with you.
AuDHD: autism + ADHD together
Many autistic adults also experience ADHD. The two ways of processing can pull against each other (the autistic need for structure colliding with the ADHD craving for novelty) and compound each other (heightened sensitivity from both, doubled burnout, doubled exhaustion). I work with AuDHD as its own experience, not autism with a side of ADHD, or vice versa.
See ADHD therapy & supportCommon questions
A few things people often ask when considering autism therapy.
Do I need a formal autism diagnosis to work with you?
No. Many autistic adults reach therapy through self-identification before formal assessment, or while waiting for one. Therapy is a fitting place to explore whether autism fits your experience, get clearer on the pattern, and decide whether to pursue formal assessment. BC waitlists for adult autism assessment are long; therapy doesn't have to wait for that.
Will therapy try to make me less autistic?
No. My approach is neurodiversity-affirming. Autism is not pathologized in our work. The work is about understanding yourself more clearly, building a life that fits your nervous system, and unwinding the cost of years of masking, not about teaching you to seem more neurotypical.
I think I might be autistic but only just realized. Is therapy a place to figure that out?
Yes. Late identification is one of the most common reasons autistic adults arrive in therapy, sometimes after a child's diagnosis, after burnout, or after years of feeling "different" without a frame for it. We can explore it carefully, and without rushing.
I have ADHD too, can we work on both?
Yes. AuDHD (autism + ADHD together) is its own experience with its own dynamics. We hold both parts in the same work. See also: ADHD therapy & support.
I'm exhausted from masking. Where do we start?
Often with rest. Autistic burnout is real and recovery is slow. We start by reducing the load where we can, naming the pattern, and rebuilding from the inside before we start adding new demands.
Can autistic adults do online therapy?
Absolutely. The choice between in-person or online sessions is entirely up to you AND you are welcome to try both to see what fits.
Ready to Begin Your Journey?
Taking the first step toward therapy can feel daunting, but you don't have to do it alone. I'm here to support you every step of the way.
I offer both in-person sessions in Kelowna and secure online therapy sessions for clients throughout British Columbia. Contact me today to schedule a consultation and learn more about how we can work together.
Book your consultation today and take the first step toward positive change.