On Being an Autistic Therapist

This book is an important addition to the autism discussion: one that is particularly useful in confronting undeserved stereotypes about autistic adults, as well as opposing the notion that autistic people are supposed to be exclusively the recipients of therapy rather than the professionals delivering it. It is loaded with valuable autistic voices worth listening to and learning from. Chris Bonnello, autistic advocate, speaker and author

Ever since I started reading autobiographical accounts, I have thought that the best way of learning about autism is through the authentic autistic voice. Reading authentic autistic therapist voices is a deep pleasure that I encourage anyone with the vaguest interest in autism to share. One of the most distressing things I hear is when people assume that being autistic precludes the ability to be a therapist. Along with combatting many other equally nonsensical myths (such as the one declaring that autistics lack empathy), this book makes huge strides in addressing the levels of ignorance found in many autism texts. The world needs autistic therapists, and their stories in this great book will enable a better, deeper understanding of their experiences. Dr Luke Beardon, senior lecturer in autism, Sheffield Hallam University

For a very long time, it was considered inconceivable that an autistic person could be a therapist. When I started meeting increasing numbers of them, it made total sense to me that a person hard-wired for analytical thinking, who felt out of place in the world, would seek to observe, study, copy and try to solve the puzzle of ‘people’, and be brilliant at it. This book features 23 of those people, whose unique and glorious journeys have led them to this work. They have shared their stories and the sometimes troubled and serendipitous routes that led them to their neurodivergence and to therapy, and each has been a fascinating joy to read, teaching me about them, myself and the rest of our tribe. I am glad in all their cases that they found their way here, because the world of autism and therapy is a better place because of them. Sarah Hendrickx, autistic and ADHD consultant, diagnostician and author of, among other books on autism and neurodivergence, Women and Girls on the Autistic Spectrum (2nd ed., 2024) and Could I Really Be Autistic? (2025) 

I love this book! Every chapter is a goldmine of insight. While the primary focus is on the experience of autistic therapists and the innovative ways the contributors use to do effective therapy with autistic clients, there are broader lessons here that are invaluable to the field of psychotherapy as a whole. Not only does this volume have the potential to transform professional practice; it may also be the final nail in the coffin of many archaic 20th century stereotypes and misconceptions about autistic people. It is a must-read for absolutely anyone involved in psychotherapy or adjacent fields, whether as a practitioner, supervisor, educator, student or client. Nick Walker, PhD, professor of psychology at California Institute of Integral Studies and author of Neuroqueer Heresies (2021)

On Being an Autistic Therapist is a groundbreaking contribution to our field, featuring powerful, personal insights by autistic therapists into how their experience of neurodivergence shapes their clinical practice, training, relationships with clients, and professional development. This long-overdue collection challenges conventional but outdated views and is an invaluable resource for psychotherapists, educators, and mental health practitioners, providing fresh perspectives on what it means to be ‘that self which one truly is’, and how to create more inclusive, empathic spaces for both clients and practitioners. I recommend it warmly and hope that it will slay many myths about what it means to be an autistic person working in the therapy arena. Carolyn Spring, author, trainer and founder of the Trauma Recovery Community

On Being an Autistic Therapist represents a moment in history and is a milestone. This anthology of writings and drawings by professional counsellors and mental health therapists about their experiences of being autistic and how their work is informed by them is timely, informative and compelling. When, in 2020, with funding from the Scottish Government, we were able to offer one-to-one counselling with autistic therapists to SWAN’s growing community of autistic women, the experiences were reported as revelatory by clients and therapists alike. And so, I am very, very delighted to be a witness to this community of autistic professionals as they grow in confidence and self-expression. Dr Catriona Stewart, OBE, MCPP, researcher, educator, ambassador and co-founder of the charity SWAN Autism Scotland

On Being an Autistic Therapist shines a light on the prevalence of autistic people in a profession where many people still imagine our neurotype to be a problem, but where experiences that diverge from the norm are in fact invaluable. Like many minorities, autistic people often face social exclusion and misunderstanding; the experiences of this diverse group of authors should enlighten anyone who hopes to help in any way. Fergus Murray, autistic writer, educator, community organiserand chair of AMASE (Autistic Mutual Aid Society Edinburgh)

This revolutionary, timely, necessary book is a must for all therapy trainers and organisations and I hope it finds its way into the hands of as many neurodivergent therapists and clients as possible. It’s a readable, warm, wise mosaic of perspectives from autistic therapists who powerfully demonstrate a rainbow toolbox of ways they connect with clients, many of whom, like them, have felt different all their lives and flourish when their autistic language and culture is truly validated. I was inspired by the joyous inventiveness, myth-busting and hope I found in these pages. Therapy comes alive here as flow state, multi-sensorium, meditation, exploration, co-regulation and space of clarity, acceptance and safety in what has hitherto been a confusing world for both autistic therapists and clients. This book documents a changing paradigm in therapy and neurodiversity and I’m sure will also help lead and shape it. Dr Kate Fox, poet, broadcaster, neurodivergent activist