Alliance Counselling
Autism
As a professional I have supported people with Autism and educated myself in the field of Autism for thirty years. Individuals with Autism can experience a myriad of challenges which can include:
sensory challenges
Socio-communication difficulties
Challenges related to awareness of self and other
Executive functioning challenges
Unfortunately, people with Autism can have unfair perceptions by society in regards to their Autism being their sole defining characteristic. In my experience Autism is a part of their challenge but people with Autism need to be understood as a unique individual. This requires an experienced therapist to support the development of understanding of their unique needs and a means to address them.
Group Therapy
Group therapy provides a unique format for people to meet in a safe supportive setting to explore a particular issue. The group provides unique opportunities for insight, collaboration and reflection within the group format to address a particular issue. Groups are offered at a lower rate than individual counselling and can be more affordable than individual appointments. Currently, groups are being offered for:
Anxiety
Depression
Childhood Trauma
Autism
Anxiety and Depression Group
Anxiety and depression based groups will be offered within a mindfulness based cognitive therapy model. Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy is a well research and validated model of therapy for anxiety and depression. Groups will also incorporate psychoeducation based on principles such as neuroscience based principles, cognitive behavioural therapy, relaxation model and cognitive processing theory.
Childhood Trauma
Groups focusing on childhood trauma will incorporate a trauma informed model with a specific focus on traumatic learning. In addition a particular focus will be the development of skills to support individuals to develop awareness of how their traumatic experiences impacted them and how develop skills to learn to unlearn traumatic narratives from their past. Within these groups skills will be focused on:
identifying learned adaptations to trauma
Development of regulation skills
Awareness of cognitive distortions
Learning cognitive behavioural skills to manage mood and thoughts
Learning Mindfulness Cognitive Behavioural Therapy