Experiences of Psychological Therapy as an Autistic Person

Abstract

There is increasing empirical evidence to suggest that psychological therapies can be effective for targeting mental health symptoms experienced by autistic adults. However, relatively little is known about what autistic adults think about the structure and content of psychological therapies and which elements of the therapeutic process are more or less accessible, meaningful, and subjectively important for facilitating hope, change, and resilience. The focus in this chapter is on the personal experiences of autistic adults who have had individual or group therapy. As in all clinical work, therapists are encouraged to adopt an open, curious, and reflective stance and to engage in active conversations with autistic clients about how to adapt the therapeutic context so as to maximize intervention accessibility and effectiveness.