Sadly no, in Ireland I would need a doctorate. However the Adult Autism Practice and ADHD Ireland are excellent resources for diagnostics. What I can be helpful for is making sense of your confirmed or suspected diagnosis. 

In short, yes. Working out feelings, context, reasoning, and stories can be one way that neuroaffirming therapy is helpful.

In my experience neurodivergent people, and autistic people in particular, tend to find it refreshing and safe. There is a lot less explaining that needs to happen, which can free you up to focus on the reasons you came to therapy in the first place.

That’s my hope, but I understand the skepticism. I’m a white person raised in a white supremacist society so I’ll likely always be actively unlearning the racism that was planted within all of us. Also, western psychology has its origins in institutional oppression of targeted groups,  and we live under capitalism, so decolonising therapy will always be tricky work. However my resolve is to approach these issues consciously in my practice and work to deconstruct oppressive paradigms while I continue to educate and rehabilitate myself. 

One way I do this is by bringing the systemic view into the therapy room. An individualist view of mental health will not liberate us. Audre Lorde said that self-care is a radical act of political warfare.  We’re not talking bath bombs and self-indulgence – therapy becomes a tool to sharpen ourselves in the context of the global struggle for justice while we soften ourselves for peacetime and learning to be in community.

On “getting it wrong”, I am definitely open to learning from clients on race, but I try to do enough self-education to allow clients to keep “teaching moments” to a minimum. 

Some BIPOC feel they will never find the understanding they need from a white woman therapist, and that is totally fair. If based in Ireland I recommend https://www.blacktherapistsireland.ie/.

US-based searchers might check out the National Association of Black Counselors. https://www.nabcounselors.org/Find-A-Counselora

I’m currently researching suggestions for Southwest/South/Southeast Asian culturally attuned practices. Please contact me on the form if you are from or deeply rooted in these communities and you can personally recommend any.

I was supporting primarily trans youth at the Trevor Project for the year I volunteered in their crisis lines. Your experience will be believed and your name and pronouns will be honoured. I’ve gotten feedback that my views are in solidarity with the trans community and that my trans clients have felt supported and taken care of, though I’ll never be perfect.

I believe gender is a social construct, sex is nonbinary, and gender-affirming healthcare is a human right. I support young people’s right to puberty blockers and other life-saving care. 

There is a meaningful intersection between gender diversity and neurodiversity. This is something that I’m happy to discuss in therapy.

What I don’t have is lived experience of transitioning – TENI may be a good resource if that’s what you need in a therapist, though that’s probably not new to you. Violet Psychology also has trans, neuroaffirming therapists. www.violetpsychology.com

In short, I’m quite comfortable to work with you, it’s about what you are up for trying.