Therapy

There are many ways autistic people, and neurotypical people, can learn to manage their emotional wellbeing. Psychotherapy (sometimes just called therapy) is one way some people do this.

Many therapies were originally created for people who were neurotypical (not autistic). This has changed as more therapists, researchers and people with lived experiences have said that sometimes therapy has been tricky for them to engage in.

Some young people have said that they feel more anxious about attending therapy when they do know the specifics about the arrangements (who, what, why, when, where, how). Here are some other worries that young people have shared:  

  • Feeling anxious about what the setting will look and be like.
  • Being distracted by noises in the room (e.g., ticking clocks)
  • Being judged
  • The therapist not being personable, or seeming engaged with working with them.
  • Being told off for going off topic
  • Needing more breaks in the session

There are many therapies and tools that can be adapted to make therapy more accessible for autistic people.

Here are some examples of what some autistic people have said they find helpful in therapy. This is not a full list and not every autistic young person wants these specific changes to their therapy. These are just examples.  

  • Having movement breaks.
  • Flexibility in the time and durations of the sessions and course of therapy.
  • Small changes made to the therapy environment.
  • Having a bag of fidget and sensory items and visual supports ready in the therapy room.
  • Having someone they feel comfortable with in some sessions, or perhaps in the initial session.
  • Being provided with simple and clear therapeutic ideas.
  • Not having just language-based metaphors, (e.g. describing pushing down feelings like a ball going under water and popping back up).
  • Consider other methods for therapy, including creative methods, drama and dancing.

Here is a tool you can use with your therapist to work out what adaptions would be helpful for you:

Professionals offering therapy may also find it helpful to look at the below page on our website:  

Types of therapies

Below are some types of therapies that professionals have made more helpful and accessible for autistic people. Some therapists use a combination of these therapies.

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a type of talking therapy where a therapist helps you to change how you think and act. It can treat many different emotional difficulties.
  • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is a structured therapy that focuses on teaching four core skills: mindfulness, acceptance and distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness to help you create a good life for yourself. You work on those skills through a series of lessons and then start applying them to your life.
  • Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) aims to help people recover from problems triggered by traumatic events. The aim of the therapy is to reduces the distress caused by difficult memories. EMDR therapy is best known for treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) but can help with a range of mental health conditions in people of all ages including depression and anxiety.
  • Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) focusses on patterns that are causing problems for you in the present. Importantly, it takes account of your influences and relationships in your past. CAT’s aims are to help you understand how your difficulties came about and what keeps them going.
  • Family Therapy focuses on addressing issues within the family. It recognises that family relationships can impact people’s wellbeing. It works closely with the family to explore and resolve conflicts, enhance communication, and foster healthier relationships.
  • Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) draws on different approaches, such a CBT, evolutionary psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, Buddhist psychology, and neuroscience. Its founder Paul Gilbert said “One of its key concerns is to use compassionate mind training to help people develop and work with experiences of inner warmth, safeness and soothing, via compassion and self-compassion”.

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