Neurodiversity Counselling & Support in Surrey

Affirming Therapy for Neurodivergent Adults, Teens & Families

Neurodiversity describes the natural variation in how human brains work. Being neurodivergent means your brain processes information, attention, emotion or sensory input differently from what is considered typical. It covers ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, Tourette’s and more, and many people fit more than one description at once.

Being neurodivergent is not, in itself, something to be fixed. What often brings people to therapy is the exhaustion of living in a world built around a different way of thinking. That might be years of masking, burnout, anxiety, difficulties at work or school, or making sense of a diagnosis that arrived in adulthood.

At The Practice, our therapists work in a neurodiversity-affirming way. That means we start from the understanding that your brain is not broken, and we adapt how we work to suit you rather than expecting you to adapt to us.

Who we work with

We offer therapy for:
• Neurodivergent adults, including those diagnosed later in life
• Teenagers and young people
• Children, with family and parenting support alongside
• Partners, parents and siblings of neurodivergent people
• Couples where one or both partners are neurodivergent

You do not need a formal diagnosis to work with us. Many people come to us while they are on an NHS waiting list, or because they recognise themselves in a description and want space to explore it. Self-identification is enough.

What neurodivergent people often bring to therapy

Everyone’s experience is different, but the themes we hear most often include:

• Anxiety, low mood and a sense of never quite keeping up
• Burnout and exhaustion, particularly after long periods of masking
• Overwhelm, including sensory overload and difficulty switching off
• Intense responses to criticism or perceived rejection
• Difficulty with planning, starting tasks and managing time
• Misunderstandings in relationships, at work or within the family
• Processing a late diagnosis, and reinterpreting earlier life through it
• Loss of confidence after years of being told to try harder

How our therapy is adapted for neurodivergent clients

Traditional talking therapy is not always set up well for neurodivergent people. Where it helps, we can adjust how we work:
• Sessions where eye contact is never expected
• The camera could be off during the online sessions with the therapist's prior agreement, if that makes talking easier
• Time to think, without pressure to fill silences
• Clear structure and an agreed agenda, or a looser approach, whichever suits you
• Attention to the room itself, including lighting and noise, where we can
• Permission to move, fidget or stand during a session

If something about the usual format does not work for you, tell us and we will look at changing it.

Conditions and differences we work with

We have dedicated pages for the two we are asked about most:
• ADHD counselling and support
• Autism counselling and support

We also support people living with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, Tourette’s, sensory processing differences and combinations of the above.

Support for parents, partners and families

Neurodivergence affects relationships as much as individuals. We work with parents trying to understand and advocate for a child, with couples navigating different communication styles and needs, and with families adjusting after a diagnosis. Family therapy and parenting support are available at all three of our venues.

Assessment and diagnosis

We do not carry out formal assessments or issue diagnoses. What we can do is offer specialist assessment referrals and support you through the process of seeking one, including the wait. Therapy and assessment are separate things, and you do not need the second to benefit from the first.

How The Practice can help

Our therapists offer confidential, affirming support across Surrey and South West London. Services include:
• Individual therapy for neurodivergent adults
• Therapy for neurodivergent teenagers and children
• Family therapy and parenting support
• Couples and relationship therapy
• Specialist assessment referrals
• Practical strategies for burnout, overwhelm and executive function

With therapy rooms in Weybridge, Guildford and East Molesey, and online sessions available UK-wide, we can usually find a way of working that fits.