Sarah Read

Session type: Fortnightly 

Location: Online across the UK

Session length: 60 minutes

Fee: £80 (day), £85 (eve)

Availability: Wednesdays and Fridays

Approach: Neurodivergent-affirming, Humanistic, relational, person‑centred

Neurodivergence‑affirming online therapy for autistic, ADHD and AuDHD adults. Warm, steady support with masking, sensory needs, executive function, burnout and late‑identified ND journeys. Fortnightly, 60 minute sessions, online across the UK.

Many autistic, ADHD and AuDHD adults - including those wondering if they might be neurodivergent - come to therapy wanting a space where they don’t have to mask, explain themselves, or keep pushing through overwhelm. You might be exploring traits, recently identified, or trying to understand why life has felt so intense or exhausting.

I offer a calm, neurodivergent-affirming therapy space where we can make sense of your nervous system, your sensory world, and the patterns you’ve been carrying for years.

I’ve supported many neurodivergent adults - particularly those who are late-diagnosed, burnt out, overwhelmed, or exhausted from masking. My approach is called Navigate Neurodivergence, developed after repeatedly seeing the same gap: people leaving diagnosis with insight… but very little support for understanding what comes next.

As we begin therapy, many clients choose to explore a set of optional Navigate Neurodivergence Foundations designed to help us understand how your neurodivergence shapes daily life. These may include:

• sensory patterns and overwhelm
• nervous system regulation and recovery
• executive functioning and daily-life supports
• masking, identity and burnout
• shame, self-compassion and self-understanding
• relationships, boundaries and sustainable change
• rejection sensitivity

We can discuss which, if any of these themes might be beneficial for you in our introduction call.

In early sessions we often combine reflection with gentle psychoeducation, helping you find language and clarity for experiences that may have felt confusing or overwhelming for years. Equally, if you'd prefer to begin more openly, we simply follow your pace, and your needs.

I bring lived ND experience, Level 7 therapeutic training and neurodivergence‑specific CPD, alongside a warm, unhurried, relational style. I pay close attention to your sensory world, processing style and nervous‑system needs. Many people describe feeling grounded and able to breathe more easily - not because everything is solved, but because they finally feel met.

Therapy is collaborative and steady. We explore what your mind and body have been doing to cope, what’s been overwhelming or confusing, and what might help you live in a way that feels more sustainable and true to yourself. All feelings are welcome here.

Whether you're autistic, ADHD, AuDHD, or exploring whether you might be, therapy offers a calm, unpressured space where you don’t need to mask or explain the basics.

Professional Qualifications:

• Level 7 Post Graduate Diploma (awarded with Distinction) in Humanistic Counselling, York St John University
• Level 2 & 3 Counselling Skills Certificate, York College
• BA Hons (I) in Development of Education for Children & Young People with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities, York St John Uni

Recent Training:

• TQUK Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Autism, Askham Bryan College
• The Inside of Autism - The Autistic Advocate
• Curating Healthy Lifestyles for Late-Identified Autistic Adults - The Autistic Advocate
• Autistic Masking - The Autistic Advocate
• Complex Trauma Certificate Level 1 & 2

If you’re wondering whether this kind of support might be helpful, you’re very welcome to get in touch for a gentle introductory call. There’s no pressure to commit - it’s simply a chance to ask questions and see whether working together feels like the right fit for you.

Free 20 - 30 min Introduction Call

The purpose of the introduction call is to find out what issues you are keen to work on and to explain a little of how I work.

I will ask some questions about your challenges and how they are impacting you across your life - home, work, relationships, sleep etc. I will take some contact info and make some notes (which are destroyed if we do not go on to work together). We can explore which, if any, of the 8 Navigate Neurodivergence Foundations might be helpful for you to work on in our early sessions.

If I think at the end of the call that I can support you, I’ll share that with you and we can discuss how it would work. But, if I feel that I am not the best person to help you I’ll tell you and if I know someone who could help, I’ll point you in their direction instead.

Session type: Fortnightly in-person

Location: York city centre (YO1)

Session length: 75 minutes

Fee: £80 (daytime), £85 (evening)

Availability: Tuesdays & Thursdays

Approach: Humanistic, relational, person‑centred

Warm, relational counselling in York. Fortnightly, 75 minute sessions. Humanistic, steady support for adults seeking space to talk, reflect and understand themselves. ND‑affirming online therapy also available.

Navigating Life Therapy - In Person Sessions

You might look like you’re coping, but inside you feel stretched thin - overthinking, anxious, replaying conversations in your head. You want to feel calmer, more confident, and able to trust your own voice again. Therapy can be a space to breathe, make sense of what’s yours to carry, and start feeling more like you.

People come to in‑person therapy for many reasons - feeling overwhelmed, navigating a life change, struggling in relationships, or simply wanting a quiet, steady space to reflect. You don’t need a diagnosis or a clear “issue” to begin. You can arrive as you are, and we can explore what feels important together.

I work with adults seeking support with stress, low mood, anxiety, self‑confidence, identity, family dynamics, and the impact of past experiences. My focus is on creating a safe, grounded space where you feel heard, understood and supported.

Clients often tell me they feel lighter after sessions. Not because everything’s fixed, but because they finally feel heard. 

I am a warm, calm and down-to-earth person, and I'm here to help. I bring kindness, gentle humour, and a grounded presence to our sessions, because healing doesn’t have to feel clinical. All feelings are welcome. 

Navigating Life Therapy - In Person Sessions

We start by creating a space that feels safe - emotionally and physically. I use somatic and nervous system-informed approaches to help you feel more at ease in your body and mind.

You won’t be rushed. You won’t be analysed. You’ll be met with warmth, curiosity, and a steady presence. Always, we move at your pace.

I offer calm, relational counselling from a comfortable, private therapy room in York city centre. Sessions are fortnightly and last 75 minutes, giving you time to settle, talk and explore without feeling rushed. My approach is humanistic and collaborative, with space to understand emotions, patterns, relationships and life experiences at a pace that feels right for you.

What Therapy Can Help With:

• Feeling stuck or overwhelmed
• Anxiety, depression and burnout
• Self-esteem and self-confidence
• A quiet sense of “something’s not right”
• Difficulty making decisions or trusting yourself
• Wanting to feel calmer and more connected
• Exploring identity, meaning, and emotional patterns
• Learning to regulate your nervous system

Navigating Life Therapy - In Person Sessions

I offer a free 30 minute initial phone call to explain my approach and what counselling could look like. We can briefly talk about what has led to you seeking therapy, your current challenges and I'll ask you to share any relevant background information. We can figure out how we might work together and if you feel comfortable working with me.

There is absolutely no obligation to book any further sessions, but if we are a good fit, we can schedule your first counselling session and I will send you a working agreement. This outlines our mutual commitments, and I will ask you read, sign and return it before we meet.