How might a client's ADHD, autism or dyslexia shape the way you contract, communicate and work together? What happens when familiar approaches don't quite fit? And how do you adapt your practice while staying grounded in the way you already work?
This programme gives counsellors and psychotherapists, qualified and in training, time to explore these questions in depth. Bringing together theory, practical strategies, case studies and discussion, it supports a more informed, flexible and neurodivergent-affirming way of working, with the therapeutic relationship at its centre.
Neurodivergence in the therapy room
Neurodivergence can shape how a person processes information, communicates, manages emotion, experiences their surroundings and relates to themselves and others.
Some clients will already know and understand this part of themselves. Others may be exploring the possibility of a diagnosis, coming to terms with a recent one, or beginning to recognise patterns in their lives that were once explained in other ways.
In the room, this might show up as masking, shame, emotional overwhelm, sensory sensitivity, or difficulty with planning and follow-through. Understanding these experiences helps you notice where your own expectations, interventions and ways of working may need to shift.
What we explore
Understanding neurodiversity. What neurodiversity means and how neurodivergent and neurotypical experience differ, across ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia. We also look at neurobiological perspectives, including the role of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, and at how neurodivergence intersects with mental health.
Recognising neurodivergence and working with diagnosis. How neurodivergent traits show up in therapy, including those that have gone unnoticed for years. We consider the impact of late or missed diagnosis, and how to work with clients before and after a formal assessment, or without one.
Contracting and the therapeutic relationship. How to adapt contracts to individual needs, and how to notice sensory, communication and emotional cues as part of the work. We look at what these differences mean for engagement and for the relationship between you and your client.
Beliefs, self-perception and anxiety. How rigid and flexible thinking patterns shape a client's experience, and how to work with emotional awareness, anxiety and long-held beliefs about the self.
Sensory and emotional regulation. Recognising sensory sensitivities, common triggers and the early signs of emotional overwhelm. We explore practical adjustments to the therapy room, such as lighting, sound, movement and breaks, alongside grounding, pacing and co-regulation, and simple routines clients can use between sessions.
Executive functioning in everyday life. How differences in executive functioning affect planning, getting started and following through, and how procrastination, perfectionism, avoidance and decision paralysis connect. We look at practical supports such as timers, visual schedules, body doubling and external reminders, and at working alongside clients to build routines that balance demands with rest.
Masking, shame and identity. How masking develops, what it does for a person, and what it costs in identity, energy and relationships. We consider how therapy can support self-acceptance, and safer ways to express needs, set boundaries and reduce masking where that is right for the client.
Bringing it into your practice. The programme closes by applying the learning to a case study, considering a client's needs, context and capacity, and by helping you plan how to integrate what you have learned into your own clinical work.
What you will gain
By the end of the programme, you will have:
• A broader understanding of neurodivergence and what it means for counselling and psychotherapy
• A clearer sense of how neurodivergence can shape the therapeutic relationship and process
• Practical ways to adapt how you communicate, contract and intervene
• Strategies for working with sensory and emotional overwhelm, executive functioning, masking and shame
• Greater confidence in a neurodivergent-affirming approach that responds to each client
How the training is delivered
The programme runs live on Zoom over 12 Wednesday sessions. Each session combines teaching with case studies, group discussion, practical exercises and time for your questions, so there is space to reflect on your own clients as well as take in new material.
You will receive handouts, worksheets and resource guides to help you carry the learning into your ongoing practice. You will need a stable internet connection and Zoom.
Who the programme is for
This programme is for qualified and trainee counsellors and psychotherapists who want to deepen their understanding of neurodivergence and develop their practice. It may be especially useful if you already work with neurodivergent clients, are supporting clients exploring ADHD, autism or a late diagnosis, or want to adapt your existing approach to meet different needs. It is open to practitioners from any modality.
About the trainer: Nea Clark PTSTA
Nea Clark PTSTA is a psychotherapist, supervisor, author and ADHD coach, with an MSc in Psychotherapy. Her work centres on ADHD and dyslexia, with both clients and supervisees, and she works with trainees across several training institutes.
Her book, Travel into the ADHD Mind: How to Work with ADHD Clients (2024), sets out practical approaches for therapists and other professionals supporting people with ADHD.
New to Nea’s work?
Join her free online workshop, Working with ADHD Clients in Counselling and Psychotherapy, on 12 November 2026. Register now
Event details
6pm to 9pm on Wednesdays
3 March to 26 May 2027
There will be no session on 31 March
40 hours over 12 sessions
Online via Zoom
Cost £900
A £200 deposit is required on registration to confirm your place