What a Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach Means at Giles House Psychology
*Note: Although this post speaks particularly to our neurodiversity-affirming approach, our commitment to inclusive, affirming, and respectful care extends beyond neurotype. We recognise that people’s experiences are shaped by many parts of who they are and how they move through the world, and we aim to offer a space where all of those parts are met with thoughtfulness, respect, and care.
For many people, therapy has not always felt helpful, comfortable, or safe.
Sometimes it has felt like being misunderstood. Like something about you was seen as wrong, rather than worthy of understanding. Like the support being offered simply did not fit.
Your needs may have been minimised, overlooked, or dismissed. You may have felt pressure to hide parts of yourself, meet other people’s expectations, or change who you are in order to fit in.
For some, previous therapy may have felt like it did not quite understand what was really going on. The real reasons for distress may have been missed, and the support offered may not have matched what was actually needed. This can happen when therapy is based on assumptions that do not reflect someone’s experiences, needs, identity, or the way their brain and body work.
Historically, many therapy approaches have not been neurodiversity-affirming. Many have been shaped by narrow ideas about what is considered ‘normal’ or healthy, and were not designed with different brains, bodies, and lived experiences in mind. Sometimes therapy has focused too heavily on coping, compliance, or appearing more ‘functional’, without enough curiosity about what is actually causing distress.
When therapy comes from those assumptions, it can feel exhausting, invalidating, shaming, and sometimes even harmful.
At Giles House Psychology, we aim to offer something different.
A neurodiversity-affirming approach starts from a different place. Rather than asking, “How do we make this person fit better?”, it asks, “What is happening here? What makes sense in context? And what support may actually help?”
That shift matters. It can reduce shame, help people feel safer in therapy, and create space for greater self-understanding, self-trust, and support that feels more sustainable and more like a genuine fit.
What is neurodiversity-affirming practice?
Neurodiversity-affirming practice begins with the understanding that there is no one right way to think, feel, communicate, learn, regulate, or move through the world. It recognises neurodivergence as part of natural human variation, rather than something that needs to be fixed, cured, or erased.
It also recognises that many of the difficulties neurodivergent people face are not simply about neurodivergence itself, but about living in environments, systems, and expectations that were not built with their needs in mind. This is why affirming practice focuses on understanding the person in context, and on offering support that fits who they are and what they need.
It is not a single technique or checklist, but a broader way of understanding people and responding to them with greater respect, flexibility, and care.
Context matters
Affirming practice also means recognising that people do not exist in isolation. Our experiences are shaped not only by who we are, but also by the systems, environments, relationships, and expectations around us. We all move through systems that shape our access, safety, sense of belonging, and the support available to us.
Experiences of neurodivergence may intersect with chronic illness, queerness, gender diversity, trauma, culture, race, body size, parenting, or other aspects of identity and lived experience. These intersections matter, and they shape how someone experiences therapy, the world around them, and themselves.
An affirming approach looks at the whole person in context, including their nervous system, sensory profile, communication style, identity, lived experience, strengths, stressors, and support needs.
Part of affirming practice is recognising when systems, environments, or expectations are part of the difficulty, rather than assuming the person simply needs to push harder or cope better. It is also about staying reflective, continuing to learn, listening to the communities most affected, and adapting therapy in ways that are more accessible, respectful, and useful.
A strengths-based approach that still makes room for struggle
Being affirming does not mean pretending everything is easy, or overlooking the things that are painful, exhausting, disabling, or hard.
It means holding the full picture.
It means recognising strengths, abilities, insights, creativity, and resources, while also taking challenges and support needs seriously. It means making space for both the reality of struggle and the possibility of support.
Many neurodivergent people experience very real distress, fatigue, and barriers in daily life. An affirming approach does not minimise that. It recognises that struggle is real, while also asking what is contributing to it, what support is needed, and what might need to change so life feels more manageable and sustainable.
Rather than working against your differences, we work with them and alongside you.
We all do better when we are supported in the ways we actually need.
What this can look like in practice
A neurodiversity-affirming approach in psychology is not just a philosophy in the background. It shapes how therapy is understood, offered, and adapted.
We make space for sensory and regulation needs
Feeling safe in therapy is not only about the relationship. It is also about the environment.
Things like lighting, sound, temperature, seating, pacing, and predictability can make a real difference to how comfortable and regulated someone feels. We want the space to feel as supportive and accommodating as possible.
That may include:
softer lighting instead of harsh overhead lights
different seating options
space to move, fidget, or stim
access to sensory supports
time to settle in
practical information and images of the space beforehand, so things feel more predictable
asking about sensory and communication preferences ahead of time
You are welcome to move, use supports, take your time, or let us know what helps. And if bright overhead lights are your thing, we can work with that too (I’ll put my sunnies on 😉).
You do not need to communicate or engage in one particular way
Although psychology is often thought of as talk therapy, talking is not the only way to communicate. There is no one right way to engage in therapy, and you do not need to express yourself in a particular style to be understood here.
You do not need to make eye contact to show that you are listening or engaged. For some people, eye contact can feel distracting, uncomfortable, distressing, or even painful. For me, when I am trying to find the right words, I often look away or even close my eyes. My brain finds it easier to think when it is not also trying to process lots of visual information.
We can work together in ways that suit you. That may include:
talking, writing, drawing, typing, or using diagrams
pausing, moving, fidgeting, or stimming
We can also make adjustments to support processing, memory, focus, and organisation. That may include:
having more time to process
using visual supports, handouts, or notes
using agendas or a visual timer
checking understanding, slowing things down, or coming back to something later
taking your own notes, or receiving a summary of key points after the session
Together, we can work out what helps you feel comfortable, what makes things easier to take in and process, and what allows therapy to feel supportive, accessible, and genuinely useful.
We respect autonomy, choice, and consent
An affirming approach is not about compliance. It is about collaboration.
You are the expert in your own life and experience. Therapy should not be about making you seem more acceptable to other people at the expense of your wellbeing. Instead, we work together in a way that respects your autonomy and keeps you at the centre of the process.
That may include:
moving at a pace that feels manageable
respecting your boundaries and preferences
the direction of therapy being guided by your priorities
working together on goals that matter to you
checking what feels helpful, and what does not
adapting how sessions are structured
making space for feedback, questions, and consent along the way
Together, we can explore what feels supportive for you, what feels sustainable, and what may help life feel a little easier, safer, and more like your own.
We adapt therapy to the individual
Good therapy is not about fitting everyone into the same process.
Different people need different things from therapy. Some want structure, clear goals, and practical strategies. Others need space to reflect, process, and make sense of what they are carrying. Some find handouts and tools helpful. Many people want therapy to be flexible, with a mix of approaches depending on what they need.
This might include:
sessions that are more structured or more open
agendas, handouts, diagrams, or visual supports
timers to support pacing and focus
practical tools and strategies
optional homework or between-session reflections
telehealth where that fits best
drawing on your strengths and interests
adjusting the approach as we learn what works for you
Sometimes that means exploring burnout, overwhelm, masking, self-trust, boundaries, sensory distress, identity, or the impact of spending a long time in environments that have not felt supportive or safe. Sometimes it means looking beyond coping strategies and asking what may be driving the overwhelm, distress, or difficulty underneath.
We can be flexible and adjust as we go, so therapy feels more supportive, more useful, and more like a genuine fit.
A final note
Therapy is not something you have to get ‘right’.
An affirming approach means making space for who you are, listening with care, and adapting support in ways that feel respectful and helpful.
At Giles House Psychology, we aim to offer a space where you do not have to hide who you are in order to be understood.
You are welcome here as you are.