5 Reasons to Try Autism-Affirming Therapy for Adults

Therapy can be beneficial to everyone, as anyone can struggle with their mental health. But if you’re autistic, it’s especially important to get the therapy that’s personalized to your needs and your unique qualities. Autism-affirming therapy can help people feel supported, heard, understood and validated. Autism-affirming therapists work with you, and operate from a strengths-based approach rather than a deficit approach. Autism is not something to be treated, but rather, supported. When people do not receive the support they need, that can contribute to associated conditions including, but not limited to, depression and anxiety.

Autism-affirming therapy for adults will help you navigate daily occurrences that you may struggle with, from relationships to self-care. But many autistic adults are skeptical of going to therapy out of fear of being misunderstood or invalidated. Sadly, too many providers are not neurodiversity-affirming, and that can discourage autistics from seeking therapy. We’re here to let you know the many benefits that you could gain from autism-affirming therapy.

Read on to learn about the basics of autism-affirming therapy for adults as well as the reasons why it should be explored.

What is autism-affirming therapy for adults?

It’s important to note that autism shouldn’t be seen as something that can be fixed or cured, because it can’t. But it can be affirmed.

Autism-affirming therapy has the same goal as therapy for neurotypical adults. It's used to help people feel better by talking through their problems and caring for their mental health. But autism-affirming therapy for adults can really help with self-understanding, self-acceptance and self-expression. While therapy doesn’t treat autism, it can treat mental health symptoms that coexist with autism.

This includes helping with:

Social skills.
Communication skills.
Self-care and healthy habits.
Identity exploration.
Conflict resolution.
Self-esteem.
Navigating relationships.
Problem-solving.
Self-expression.
Coping skills.
Self-advocacy.
Increasing flexibility and adaptability.
Managing anxiety.
Preventing and recovering from burnout.
Self-regulation.

Autism-affirming therapy can improve your mental health and overall well-being, however that may look for you. This means looking at the issues that you have been experiencing, processing your emotions with a professional, and identifying creative solutions and strategies that can help you manage whatever challenge you may face.

From coping mechanisms during life changes to family issues, therapy can help you examine your emotional and psychological mindset. It can help you identify how you respond and react to situations, identify triggers, and most importantly, develop tools and skills that work for you. It can help determine the best ways to handle situations that you’re having trouble handling on your own. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to therapy, especially with neurodivergent adults.

Therapy is also essential for autistic people who have co-occurring mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety to ensure they have the support they need to move toward a life that is happier and healthier for them, however they define that.

5 reasons why autism-affirming therapy for adults could be life changing

There is a plethora of potential benefits that autism-affirming therapy can offer for adults. It can help with emotional and psychological barriers that you encounter on a daily basis. With therapy, you can explore those barriers from every angle and learn the tools that you need to push past them.

Here are five reasons why you should consider autism-affirming therapy for adults:

To validate your emotions — We all want to feel heard. Being misunderstood can lead to frustration and anxiety, which can result in persistent or worsening mental and emotional health. This is often the case with late-identified autistic adults who have often been misdiagnosed, misunderstood or overlooked for much of their life. When you share your experiences and feelings with a neurodivergent-affirming therapist, it helps you feel supported and empowered to improve at your own pace, in your own way.

To develop a healthier sense of self — Figuring out your identity and your place in this world isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. An autism-affirming therapist can help you understand yourself and your differences, without guilt or judgment. This can help you believe in yourself, set and pursue your goals, know your worth, channel your strengths, advocate for yourself, set boundaries, and share your authentic self with others. Therapy can help you explore every facet of your identity and learn to be proud of who you are.

To cope with transitional phases — We all experience changes that transition us from one chapter of our lives to the next. This could mean anything from starting a new job to moving away from your hometown. It can be hard to manage the high-intensity emotions that these transitional phases can bring, especially with autistic adults who struggle with changes or uncertainty. But therapy can help you acknowledge, confront and accept the challenges that these big changes can pose.

To develop coping mechanisms — Autistic and neurodivergent people process information differently and often can have very big emotions. We often feel frustrated and overwhelmed by things that neurotypical people seem to navigate easily. It’s important to develop healthy coping mechanisms as an autistic adult to manage our emotions and help us feel calm and regulated in our day-to-day schedules. This may look like scheduling time for breaks or to decompress, or this may look like having calming sensory activities built into our day, or identifying some safe and trusted people to ask for help if we need to. A therapist can help you develop and use coping skills and strategies that work for you.

To work on communication styles and patterns — Autistic adults have varying types of communication styles and patterns. Some autistics may prefer alternative modes of communication. Verbal communication can sometimes be difficult for autistic adults, which can make it difficult to share your thoughts and feelings with those around you. A therapist can help you identify your communication differences and learn to communicate with people to ensure that you’re able to voice concerns, share your opinions and make personal connections with others.

NeuroSpark offers autism-affirming therapy for adults

At NeuroSpark, we pride ourselves on authenticity. We’re all about learning and growing, which is exactly what you can accomplish with autism-affirming therapy for adults. By enlisting the help of a therapist, you can work through problems, improve your mental health and develop habits that will benefit you for the rest of your life.

With our one-on-one coaching and accommodations consulting, you can find confidence and contentment. We are also offering therapy in select states and are taking great care to consciously expand our network of neurodiversity-affirming therapy to include more states.

Contact our team today for more information or to schedule a consultation.