ADHD & Autism Counselling in Bristol & Online

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Maybe you're not the problem.

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Were you the child who was told:

Stop daydreaming.

Stop talking.

Pay attention.

You'd do so well if only you…

 

I know that story because it was mine.

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I spent a lot of my childhood learning how to fit in. I masked. I learned what was expected of me and tried to become that person.

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It wasn't until I was working with one of my own therapists and they asked whether I had ever considered that I might have ADHD that I stopped and really thought about it.

At first, I was slightly offended.

 

Then I started reading.

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And there were a lot of ah-ha moments.

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I remember thinking, Isn't this how everyone thinks?

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And then realising: no. It wasn't.

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It was how I thought.

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Over the following year or so, so much of my life began to make sense.

And I love working with people who are going through that same process of discovery.

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When suddenly everything makes sense

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Maybe you've recently been diagnosed with ADHD or autism.

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Maybe you're wondering whether you might be neurodivergent.

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Or perhaps you've known for years but are only now beginning to understand what it means for you.

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There can be relief.

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There can also be grief, anger, frustration and a lot of “If only I'd known sooner.”

You might look back at school, relationships, work or your childhood and see things differently.

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Maybe I wasn't lazy.

Maybe I wasn't too sensitive.

Maybe I wasn't difficult.

Maybe I was trying incredibly hard to function in a world that wasn't designed with me in mind.

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We can make space for all of that.

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You don't have to fit the mould

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I don't believe there is one way to be ADHD or autistic.

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Once you've met one person with ADHD or autism, you've met one person with ADHD or autism.

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Your experience is yours.

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Some people are exhausted from years of masking. Others are struggling with relationships, work, overwhelm, executive functioning, rejection, shame or feeling different.

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Some are angry that nobody noticed sooner.

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Some are trying to understand themselves after a diagnosis.

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And some simply want to stop feeling like they are constantly getting life wrong.

I'm interested in your story, not a checklist of symptoms.

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What if you stopped trying to fix yourself?

I don't see neurodivergence as something that needs to be squeezed out of you.

That doesn't mean everything is easy.

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ADHD and autism can make some parts of life genuinely difficult. We can look at those difficulties and find ways of making life easier.

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But I don't want you spending your life shaming yourself for not functioning like somebody else.

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Sometimes the first step is understanding why something is difficult.

Sometimes it's finding a different way of doing it.

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And sometimes it's realising that the thing you've been trying desperately to change is actually part of what makes you you.

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With self-compassion, we can begin to move forward without constantly fighting ourselves.

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The rules don't work for everyone

We're often handed a pretty narrow idea of what a successful life looks like.

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School. University. Career. Nine-to-five. Mortgage. Marriage. Children.

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But not everyone is made for sitting still at a desk for eight hours a day doing repetitive tasks.

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Not everyone wants the same life.

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And not everyone thrives when they try to fit themselves into the same mould.

I want to help you explore what actually works for you.

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Maybe that's making changes to your environment.

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Maybe it's finding ways to work with your brain rather than against it.

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Maybe it's giving yourself permission to want something completely different.

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ADHD, autism and perimenopause

Hormonal changes can bring another layer to neurodivergence, particularly during perimenopause and menopause.

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Some women find that things they've previously managed, masking, organisation,

concentration, emotional regulation or sensory overwhelm,  suddenly become much harder. Others start recognising ADHD or autistic traits for the first time.

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I know this isn't simply about hormones. It's about what happens when the strategies you've relied on for years stop working in the same way.

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As a neurodivergent, perimenopausal woman myself, I'm interested in the whole picture: your history, your experiences, your body and the life you're trying to navigate now.

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We can explore what is changing, what you need and what might make life feel a little more manageable — without turning you into a problem that needs fixing.

And yes, there can be a lot of feeling

There is a stereotype that autistic people don't have empathy or emotions.

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My experience is very different.

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Sometimes there can be an overwhelming amount of feeling.

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ADHD and autism can affect relationships, confidence, identity and the way we experience the world. Understanding yourself can bring up a lot.

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You don't have to hide that here.

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So, where do we start?

If you've just been diagnosed and suddenly your whole life makes sense:

Brilliant. Let's get started.

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If you're wondering whether ADHD or autism might explain some of the things you've struggled with throughout your life, we can explore that too.

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I'm not here to diagnose you or tell you who you are.

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I'm here to listen to your story, help you notice the patterns and give you space to work out what you want to do with what you discover.

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There is no shame here.

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You don't need to become less of yourself.

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Perhaps it's about finding a life that fits you a little better.

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If you'd like to talk, I offer a free, no-obligation call so you can decide whether I'm the right person to work with.