Sarah Butler

I am an autistic practitioner offering wellbeing coaching, specialising in autism. My approach is strongly neuro-affirmative, using my lived experience of autism to inform my practice. For my neurodivergent clients, I prioritise helping them find their authentic selves over fitting in to neuro-normative expectations (ie. masking), looking for a balance between celebrating their neurodivergent strengths with supporting their neurodivergent challenges.

What is Coaching?

Unlike counselling or therapy, coaching is a goal-oriented structured form of support. The focus is on the present and future, rather than processing experiences of the past.

Coaching helps you to:

• Clarify what you want to achieve to make your life more fulfilled
• Identify and overcome mental or emotional barriers
• Develop a plan of action, which you can then follow with support from your coach

As an experienced therapist, I have a range of skills I utilise in my role as a wellbeing coach, including active listening, emotional support, empathy and the use of creative expression to support communication.

Autism

My lived experience of autism enables me to support fellow autistic adults with their wellbeing, by taking into consideration differences in communication, emotional experience, sensory experience, social experience etc. As part of our work, we can explore your understanding and awareness of your autistic traits, and how they might impact your wellbeing by looking at how your needs are being met.

How I work

I allow flexibility in the way I work, such as sessions via Zoom call where you can have your camera and/or microphone off and simply type your responses, or support using only email to allow for processing time. At the initial contracting stage, we can explore the forms of communication that suit you best, however all my coaching work is online, so I cannot offer in-person sessions. My approach involves structure, which can vary according to your needs – some people prefer a predictable detailed structure to sessions, whereas others need the opportunity to let their mind wander off at tangents – I can accommodate to your individual needs.

I currently have availability for online sessions only.

I am an autistic therapist offering neuro-affirming Creative Supervision, using symbolism and metaphor to gain greater insight and enhance the supervision process. This involves the use of art, sandplay, visualisation, crafts, clay, puppets, roleplay etc. I aim to provide a safe, open, authentic, collaborative and supportive space in which to reflect and learn, whilst allowing flexibility to meet individual neurodivergent needs.