Many counsellors do not feel confident adapting their counselling practices to suit the need of Autistic adults.  This is an underserviced population in the counselling space, with a lot of focus existing on the needs of Autistic children and/or with a very deficit approach.  This has led to Autistic adults experiencing ineffective or even harmful treatments.

This is a 90-minute intensive interactive workshop for counsellors + other allied health professionals, filled with hands on strategies to make your services neurodiversity affirming, focusing on the sensory differences of Autistic adults.

• Providing sensory accommodations to your clients
• Learn when and how you might utilise sensory strategies
• Learn about different ways to support clients’ sensory differences and needs inside and outside sessions
• Identify what barriers clients face in sensory unmasking and how you can support them in addressing these

In this training we will learn by doing. You will be guided through completing your own sensory profile and find strategies to support your own sensory unmasking.  We will also identify potential barriers that you (and your clients) might have to sensory unmasking. Throughout these exercises, you will have counselling and communication strategies modelled to you that you can use with clients during your counselling sessions.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Understand the differences between sensory hypo-sensitivities and hyper-sensitivities
• Name different types of strategies [+examples] for different sensory hypo-sensitivities and hyper-sensitivities
• Utilise sensory strategies with a therapeutic purpose
• Understand how to support clients in sensory unmasking and identify potential barriers

Who is this training for?

This training has been designed with counsellors and psychotherapists in mind.

But anyone who regularly works with Autistic adults or uses counselling skills as part of their profession will benefit from this training.

Features of the presentation

This is an interactive intensive!  We will be learning by doing.  Come and do your own sensory profile, guided by an Autistic counsellor.  Interweaved throughout this process you will be shown lots of strategies that you can integrate with your work with Autistic adults.  You will have the opportunity for verbal and written interactions with the presenter and the rest of the group.

• Engaging & evidence-based content
• Hands on activities designed to deepen your learning experience
• Lots of practical examples and strategies

To allow for interactivity, the group will be limited to around 12 people.

Please enter the code ACA2025 at the checkout to get the special ACA member price of $75 for the workshop.  

Optional Extras

• Everybody will receive a copy of the sensory plan as a PDF.

I have tried to keep the costs low by keeping extras to a minimum.  You can add on these extras as suited to your budget.  All prices are inclusive of GST.

You can select each of these optional extras during checkout.

1. Online resources – $10

• A resource pack delivered to you digitally to download
• Includes
  • A copy of the slides
  • A workbook which includes
    • The sensory plan
    • Detailed examples of sensory hyper and hypo sensitivities (likes, soothers, triggers, accommodations and strategies)
    • Detailed explanations of sensory strategies mentioned in the workshop
  • Handouts that you can use with your clients inside and outside of sessions

2. Hard copy of resources – $60

• A resource pack printed in colour and shipped to you
• A workbook which includes
  • The sensory plan
  • Detailed examples of sensory hyper and hypo sensitivities (likes, soothers, triggers, accommodations and strategies)
  • Detailed explanations of sensory strategies mentioned in the workshop
• Handouts that you can use with your clients inside and outside of sessions

You will also receive a free bonus sensory pack with 10+ different types of sensory items.

Certificate of completion and OPD points

If you are an ACA member you will be able to claim 5 OPD points (provided you successfully complete a quiz).  For other professional associations, please check your OPD policy.

You will be sent a certificate of completion afterwards.

Cancellation policy

Workshop

• Cancellation with more than 7 days’ notice – refund of 80%
• Cancellation with less than 7 days’ notice – no refund available

Resources

• If resources have not yet been dispatched a 100% refund is available