Therapy Services

Counseling / Therapy

The world we live in was not designed with autistic needs in mind. Relationships are essential to our well-being but connecting with those who are not autistic can be difficult; bullying and social rejection or alienation are unfortunately common experiences.

ssures to socially conform and maintain a livelihood tend to overshadow other priorities and effective accommodations are only rarely made available at schools and workplaces.

Autism includes some sensations and experiences that are difficult to manage. For too long the therapy approaches developed by non-autistic professionals have been aimed at making autistic people look like they are “normal”, that is, not autistic. Although mental health professionals are beginning to listen to and learn from autistic adults, we still need to develop a lot more flexible and customized methods to provide truly effective help to autistic clients and their families. My goal is to work collaboratively and to focus on your strengths as well as areas of your life that you can improve.

My rate for 50-minute sessions is $220. Because there is a demand for end-of-day meetings, sessions starting at 3 pm or later are $260. I do not offer a free first visit. I provide a Superbill, a document you can turn in to your insurer to seek reimbursement.  
Please note, appointments that are cancelled with less than 48 hours notice are charged as follows: Daytime fee is $48. Appointments at 3 pm or later $88.  

 

Therapy can help with:

Sensory issues

such as high or low sensitivity. Sometimes it is a matter of problem-solving how to better manage your environment, other times we come up with ways to develop skills to handle unpleasant or overwhelming sensations. Bodily awareness and recognition of physical sensations are related to understanding our emotions. This is a crucial life skill, particularly for autistic people who are prone to distress and upset related to sensory overwhelm.

Social needs

often present struggles for autistic people. It is be a problem of finding and keeping satisfying friendships or of matching with a romantic partner. Relationships can be challenging for anybody but the specific elements of autism that make connecting with others difficult can improve through therapy. Some of this may be about the way the autistic person behaves, but rather than helping people “fit in better”, I believe it is preferable to help autistic people learn enough about themselves that they can find the people who will enjoy and appreciate their company as they are.

Additional diagnoses

of many autistic people include ADHD, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, and sleep problems. Gender-variant people are more likely to be autistic than the general population. Education and various therapy approaches can help with any of these conditions.

Call Us

(503) 295-6265

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