Autism-affirming psychotherapy

What is it about?

A few years ago I self-identified as autistic, and my journey of acceptance and accommodation began. I'm also a psychotherapist, and I have had to adjust my ways of working and thinking about therapy. In the article, I talk about my own journey, some ways I self-accommodate at work, and some ideas for autism-affirming therapy. I hope this article will help autistic therapists, and autistic people generally, in their journey of autism acceptance and accommodation.

Featured Image

Photo by Migle Siauciulyte on Unsplash

Photo by Migle Siauciulyte on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Autism, particularly late-identified autism, has been increasingly prevalent in contemporary culture. However, because of how autism has historically been represented, many people harbor biases and judgments about what autism is and what autistic people are capable. In this article, I argue for the value of the neurodiversity paradigm and I offer alternative frameworks for thinking about autism-affirming psychotherapy.