Guidelines for Counsellors and Psychotherapists working with Adult Autistic Clients
Welcome to this resource developed by the IACP, AsIAm and Thriving Autistic.
The resource was put together by a working group consisting of Michael Ryan, Jessica K. Doyle, Tara O’Donnell Killen, Kevin Flynn, Lorraine Mooney, Bethan Davies and Gillian Fagan.
The group took into consideration feedback from the various forums, groups and individuals, including IACP EDI Committee, ASIAM Adult Group, D15 Counsellors Group and many more, to develop the guidelines.
In addition, training videos have been developed and are now available within the IACP Online CPD Portal for the IACP members based on these guidelines.
You can download the guidelines on the left of this page or HERE
Introduction to the Guidelines:
Welcome to this resource, which is designed to help therapists better understand Autistic people and provide guidance around best practice when working therapeutically with Autistic clients. In the material you may be introduced to new language, new concepts and practical advice towards providing the best foundation for a successful therapeutic relationship.
At times you might feel challenged by some of the ideas that are set out in this resource, and you may need to have patience with yourself and your practice as you adapt and amend your current methods of working towards becoming a more inclusive Neuro-Affirmative therapist.
We hope that we can offer you an opportunity to challenge your current perspectives around working with Autistic clients and we hope that we demystify any preconceived concerns or curiosities you may have.
The resource explores the history of Autistic people, the prevalence and the language of Neuro-Affirmative practices as we explore current models of disability. It looks at common characteristics of Autistic people and outlines sensory, perceptual, cognitive and communication differences, methods of processing emotions, differences in executive function and ways to support overwhelm and burnout. The focus then moves to common co-occurring conditions, a brief explanation of some neurodivergences and exploring intersectionality. Finally, we outline the practical ways to prepare for the therapy process. This includes outlining pre-therapy steps, exploring the ways we can develop a therapeutic relationship, the maintenance of a therapeutic alliance and the importance of clear communication as well as the role of supervision and feedback.
Autistic clients will naturally be the experts in their own lived experience of being Autistic and may be well versed in the ideological and historical debates around Autistic neurology; however, not all Autistic people will have invested in research around the Autistic community and it is important that therapists do not make assumptions about their client’s knowledge of the topic.
Additionally, a lot of the content in this resource is Western-centric and clients from other communities and cultures may well have a different understanding and background to their take on Autistic neurology. This can be influenced by non-Western medical practice, language, family, religious and community set-ups.
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