IN-PERSON AND ONLINE ACROSS CALIFORNIA
Autism Therapy in Gold River, CA
You can have a life that fits you, instead of constantly trying to fit everyone else's expectations.
What you do and how people receive it are frequently misaligned.
There may be times when you know exactly the message you want to get across, but then when you actually try to say it, the words come out all wrong. It feels like you’re constantly translating between yourself and everyone else.
Even when you say something you think is perfectly clear, the person you’re talking to hears something different. They might interpret you as too direct or uncommunicative and they might get angry or frustrated. Then a simple exchange becomes an argument. In these cases, you can explain exactly what each person meant after the fact, but you just couldn’t get there in the moment.
At work, these exchanges shake your confidence, even though you’re good at the actual work that you do. At home, your partner can’t always see how hard you’re trying to show you care because they experience you as distant or disengaged.
You can see the miscommunications happening, but you can’t seem to stop it, no matter how much effort you put in.
Maybe you…
Are having relationship problems. Your partner is frustrated with you, but you’re not sure what you did wrong. You’re worried your partner will leave if you don’t change.
Struggle to start tasks, finish tasks, manage your time, or stay organized. You might feel disoriented if you have to switch between tasks too often.
Become overwhelmed easily by bright lights, noisy rooms, itchy clothes, or extreme temperatures to the point that you become emotional or shut down.
Watch your peers easily transition to college, new jobs, married life, or parenthood and wonder why it seems to be so much harder for you.
Feel exhausted from pretending to be “normal” all the time. You aren’t even entirely sure who you are underneath the mask anymore.
Have been called lazy, weird, or sensitive so many times you’re starting to think it must be true.
It becomes hard to know when there's actually something you want to change and when you've simply learned to assume you're the problem.
What if you were never a problem to solve?
MY APPROACH
I don’t see autism as something to fix.
That feeling of hiding who you are to fit in with everyone else is called “masking,” and it's exhausting. My goal is to help you understand how your brain works, communicate your needs more confidently, and create systems that work with your brain instead of against it.
We’ll approach our work in three ways…
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Being an autistic person comes with specific challenges that are genuinely difficult. I want to start by helping you with whatever feels the biggest to you right now. You may want to focus on managing day-to-day tasks, handling social situations, feelings of overwhelm, exhaustion from continuous masking, or something else entirely.
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Years of being misunderstood, bullied, or told they’re "too much" or "not enough" can cause autistic people to be especially critical of themselves. We’ll look at where your negative self-beliefs come from, and build a more honest picture in its place, based on who you actually are, not what you were told.
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We work together to build routines that fit how your mind works. That might mean breaking a big task into manageable steps, having a plan for calming your body down after too much noise or a sudden change in plans, figuring out what to say when a conversation gets tough to navigate, or working through the next concrete step for something like starting a new job or living on your own for the first time.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) for Autism
Some autistic clients come to therapy carrying the effects of bullying, rejection, frightening experiences, or other memories that still bring up a strong reaction. When these are present, we may use Accelerated Resolution Therapy* (ART).
ART is a structured approach that combines guided eye movements with imagery-based techniques to work with the distress associated with those experiences. With this practice, you can process difficult memories or experiences without describing every detail out loud.
Therapy for autism can help you…
Trust yourself enough to consider your interpretation of a situation, ask for clarification when you need it, and stop automatically assuming you're the one who got it wrong.
Tell someone when something doesn't work for you, instead of going along with it to avoid a problem.
Have more energy left for things you want to do, because you have daily routines that fit how your brain works.
Notice overwhelm or overstimulation earlier, so it takes up less of your time and energy.
Honor how your body responds to or processes situations without worrying about how other people will react.
Make decisions about dating, work, and friendships based on what you want and need, not what you think you're supposed to.
Autism THERAPY IN CALIFORNIA
Sometimes masking is working for you. Sometimes it's just work. You can learn to tell the difference.
Questions? I’ve got answers.
Frequently asked questions —
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You don’t need a formal diagnosis to work with me. Plenty of people I work with already have a diagnosis, and just as many suspect they're autistic but have never had it confirmed. We can decide together during a free consultation call if I’m the right therapist for you.
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I see both adults and teens who are looking for a neurodiversity-affirming therapist that understands the unique challenges autistic people experience. Click here to learn about how I support teens.
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I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in working with autistic and otherwise neurodivergent adults and teens. My work focuses on relationship communication, executive functioning, sensory and emotional overwhelm, masking, self-trust, and the practical challenges that can come with navigating environments that weren't designed with neurodivergent people in mind.
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Yes, and many women go undiagnosed for years or get missed entirely. The truth is, people of any gender can be autistic. I encourage you to schedule a consultation with me to determine if working together will be the right fit for what you’re experiencing.
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Yes, and that’s exactly why I offer sessions online if that’s preferable for you. You can keep the camera on or off depending on what you need that day. Therapy can still involve challenge and accountability without requiring you to suppress stimming, force eye contact, or perform engagement in a particular way. Some of my clients are most comfortable in their own space.