Counselling for Autistic and Neurodivergent People
An introduction for autistic people, AuDHD people, and their families
Samantha Blackmore
If you are autistic, AuDHD, or neurodivergent, you won't need to spend the first session explaining why eye contact feels uncomfortable, why phone calls feel overwhelming, what alexithymia is, or why you've spent so much of your life trying to appear "normal." I already understand that neurodivergent experiences are diverse, and therapy shouldn't begin with you having to educate your therapist.
My name is Sam Blackmore. I am a humanistic counsellor and a neuro-informed and responsive practitioner. I work with children and young people, adults, and their families.
I have completed a diploma in Autism and Mental Health, and I work in a neurodiversity affirming way with autistic and AuDHD clients, with or without a formal diagnosis.
Understanding yourself isn't about becoming someone new, it's about recognising who you've always been.
QUALIFICATIONS
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British Psychology Society Approved Diploma in Autism and Mental Health:
Passed with Distinction -
TQUK Level 4 Certificate in Professional Supervision for Counsellors
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CPCAB Level 5 Certificate in Counselling Young People
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CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
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CPCAB Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies
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CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skill
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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NCFE CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Autism
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NCFE CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Self Harm and Suicide awareness and prevention
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NCFE CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences
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Safeguarding Children Level 3 Designated Lead
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Enhanced DBS Checked
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BACP Membership
For Parents & Carers
If you are the parent or carer of an autistic, ADHD, or AuDHD child or young person, you may already have gone down many avenues and still feel your loved one hasn't received the support they need. That experience is common, and it is not a reflection of how hard you have tried.
A key part of my work is helping to establish the things that matter most: sensory differences, communication preferences, and the small adjustments that reduce daily micro-stressors in a young person's environment.
These micro-stressors build up. As sensory or social input becomes overwhelming, a young person's capacity to cope reduces, and this is often what leads to meltdowns or shutdowns. Anxiety increases alongside this, and other mental health difficulties can follow. Left unaddressed, this can lead to low self-esteem, a negative sense of autistic identity, and withdrawal from interests, friendships, and activities that once brought joy.
Your child or young person may also be struggling with school attendance. This is often both a symptom and a driver of the stress they are already carrying, deepening anxiety and low mood and making things feel harder to turn around. I can support you and your child with this, including emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA).
Counselling can cause a ripple effect: Making a small change in our behaviour can alter other aspects of our lives
For Autistic Adults and Those Exploring a Late Diagnosis
Perhaps you've spent years feeling different without understanding why. You may have become highly skilled at masking or camouflaging—hiding your natural ways of communicating, suppressing sensory needs, or constantly monitoring yourself to fit in.
For many autistic adults, especially those diagnosed later in life, this comes at a cost. Years of adapting to other people's expectations can lead to exhaustion, anxiety, depression, loss of identity, and autistic burnout.
Receiving a diagnosis, or beginning to wonder whether you may be autistic, can bring relief alongside grief. You may find yourself asking, Who am I beneath the mask?
Therapy can be a place where you no longer have to perform. Together we can gently explore your autistic identity, understand the impact of masking, reconnect with your needs, and find ways of living that feel more authentic and sustainable. There is no expectation to become someone different—only space to become more yourself.
What I Understand
I have trained specifically in autism and mental health, and I bring an understanding of:
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Alexithymia — difficulty identifying and naming emotions
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Low interoceptive awareness — reduced awareness of internal body signals
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Sensory processing differences and sensory support needs
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Special interests (SPINS) and stimming (STIMS) as sources of regulation and joy
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Masking, camouflaging, and autistic burnout
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PDA (pathological demand avoidance) profile
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Communication and thinking style differences
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Organisation, planning, and executive function challenges
Areas I work with
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Anxiety and overwhelm
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Disordered eating and the autism–eating disorder connection
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OCD
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Identity, self-esteem, and late diagnosis
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School distress and emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA)
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Relationships and social experiences
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Autistic burnout and mental health
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Self-harm and emotional regulation
What sessions can look like
There is no single right way to have a counselling session. With me, you can:
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Sit however feels comfortable — there is no need for eye contact
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Bring a fidget or comfort object
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Skip small talk and get straight to what matters
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Type, draw, or use notes if speaking is hard
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Move around if you need to
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Walk and talk session in Nature
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Work online, from your own space
I will always ask about your preferences before we begin, and you can change what works for you at any time.
It’s not autism that’s the problem. It’s the anxiety, depression and other mental health difficulties caused by feeling overwhelmed in a world that so often lacks understanding and adjustments.
Counselling Supervision
I offer a Humanistic approach to supervision. Providing a supportive and constructive relationship where as a counsellors you can share your client work. I have experience in working with Trauma, ASD, Anxiety and Bereavement.
Sometimes it is easier to walk alongside someone than to walk opposite them.
Tel: 07917 182699 - Email: sblackmorecounselling@aol.com
Or fill out the form below with a short message of what you would like to talk about.