Hello! I'm very grateful to Becca Gibson, LCSW-C, LICSW at Wired Differently Therapy (https://www.wireddifferentlytherapy.com) for sharing their time and insight on therapy for autistic individuals-- therapy, self-disclosure, and balancing therapeutic boundaries (e.g. being flexible and accessible but also ensuring therapy doesn't become overly blurry or confusing) are topics that are of particular interest to me and Becca is an incredible source of knowledge on all of these!

We talk about how a "blank slate" approach with no disclosure can be confusing for autistic patients but, simultaneously, how certain types of degrees of disclosure may be distracting or confusing for the client (e.g. lead to worrying about the therapist's wellbeing). We also discuss feedback in therapy, how therapists can seek ongoing trainings, and the challenges or stigma that autistic therapists may face in the field.

Timestamps:

0:00 - 4:45: Self-disclosure with autistic clients

4:46 - 10:00: How to tell if self-disclosure is helping a client?

10:01 - 17:30: How to create an environment where feedback is welcome?

17:31 - 24:30: Common challenges when receiving feedback?

24:31 - 30:45: Repairing a rupture

30:46 - 38:17: Signs a therapist might benefit from neurodiversity-affirming training

38:20 - 47:00: Advice for autistic therapists

47:01 - 51:05: Final thoughts

#autism #autistic #neurodiversity #neurodivergent #therapy #therapists #interview #mentalhealth