Counselling for Families

Counselling for Families Counselling for Couples, Parents & Carers, Teenagers and ages 9 to Adult in Cheltenham and Online.

Parents and Carers sometimes have little time to think of themselves whilst caring for special needs children or a disabled, sick and dependant relative. Counselling is an opportunity for you to think and gain clarity and say the things you can't tell someone else and be really listened to and deeply understood. So often the cared for person is being well looked after by professionals, but you may feel you need someone to talk to.

Cost of the 2026 online Cassandra Syndrome support group To ensure the group remains accessible while still offering spe...
22/01/2026

Cost of the 2026 online Cassandra Syndrome support group

To ensure the group remains accessible while still offering specialist therapeutic support, the programme will be available at a clear and gentle price point. Please email for further information.

Each session includes:

💞 A 90-minute facilitated online group session
💞 Neurodiversity-informed psychoeducation
💞 Emotional wellbeing tools and grounding strategies
💞 A safe, confidential space for sharing and support
💞 Optional access to a private members-only community
💞 Session summaries and reflective worksheets

Why I’m creating this group...Over the years, I’ve seen extraordinary resilience in women navigating neurodiverse relati...
20/01/2026

Why I’m creating this group...

Over the years, I’ve seen extraordinary resilience in women navigating neurodiverse relationships. I’ve also witnessed the quiet pain: the tears held back, the guilt about needing more emotional connection, the confusion about what’s “neurodiverse wiring” and what’s “relationship dynamics,” and the fear that these concerns won’t be understood anywhere else.

Too many women tell me:
💔 “I don’t have a space where I feel safe saying this.”
💔 “I feel guilty for needing more.”
💔 “I’m exhausted from keeping on asking for what I need and being the only one who sees the emotional impact.”

You deserve support too. And you deserve a space where your truth is held with compassion, not judgement.

Who this group is for...This group may be a good fit if you are: 💔 A woman in a relationship with an autistic partner 💔...
15/01/2026

Who this group is for...

This group may be a good fit if you are:

💔 A woman in a relationship with an autistic partner
💔 Feeling emotionally alone despite loving your partner
💔 Carrying invisible emotional labour
💔 Unsure how to express needs without triggering conflict
💔 Trying to understand the neurodiverse dynamics while also honouring yourself
💔 Wanting connection with others who share similar experiences
💔 Seeking clarity, grounding, and emotional resilience
💔 Wanting a gentle space that respects both partners

If any of these resonate, you’re not alone — and this group may be a meaningful next step.

Beginning in 2026, I’ll be facilitating a new online support group specifically for women in relationships with autistic...
13/01/2026

Beginning in 2026, I’ll be facilitating a new online support group specifically for women in relationships with autistic partners who are experiencing Cassandra-type burnout, confusion, or emotional overwhelm.

The group will be:

✔ Safe
A confidential space where you can speak openly without fear of judgement, blame, or misunderstanding.

✔ Understanding
Run by a counsellor with experience in neurodiverse couples, who truly “gets” the unique dynamics involved.

✔ Non-pathologising
We centre your experience while respecting and honouring autism. This is not a place for partner-blaming — it’s a place for healing and clarity.

✔ Supportive & Structured
Each session will offer:
Gentle discussion topics
Emotional regulation tools
Psychoeducation around neurodiversity
Space for sharing experiences
Connection with others who truly understand

✔ Empowering
The aim is not to “fix” your relationship — but to support you: your voice, your needs, your boundaries, your wellbeing, and your self-worth.

I’ve worked with many women who love their autistic partner but carry a private burden: 💔 Feeling emotionally unseen or...
08/01/2026

I’ve worked with many women who love their autistic partner but carry a private burden:

💔 Feeling emotionally unseen or “invisible”
💔 Struggling with one-sided emotional labour
💔 Being the default organiser, communicator, and relationship “translator”
💔 Experiencing deep exhaustion paired with guilt
💔 Feeling invalidated when they try to explain their emotional needs
💔 Knowing their partner isn’t intentionally hurting them — but still feeling alone

These feelings are real. They matter. And they deserve safe, non-judgmental support.

Women often tell me:

“People assume I’m criticising my partner’s neurodiversity.”
“I don’t want him to feel blamed.”
“I love him — I just feel lost.”

This is exactly why a dedicated, understanding community is so important.

For many women partnered with an autistic or neurodivergent partner, the experience of love, attachment, and day-to-day ...
06/01/2026

For many women partnered with an autistic or neurodivergent partner, the experience of love, attachment, and day-to-day connection can be incredibly meaningful — and incredibly complex.

You may care deeply for your partner, admire their strengths, and want your relationship to thrive… while also feeling unseen, emotionally lonely, or chronically unheard.

Over time, this emotional depletion is often referred to as Cassandra Syndrome — a term used to describe the distress that can arise when a partner’s emotional needs consistently feel misunderstood or unmet in a neurodiverse relationship.

It is not a criticism of autism or autistic partners. It’s an acknowledgment that both partners can struggle, often silently, without the right support.

And you deserve a space that truly understands that.

When partners think, feel, or communicate differently, it can be easy to focus on the challenges — but those same differ...
01/01/2026

When partners think, feel, or communicate differently, it can be easy to focus on the challenges — but those same differences can be your greatest strength.

✨ One partner might see details the other misses.
✨ One might help zoom out when things feel overwhelming.
✨ Together, you can balance focus and flexibility.

Different doesn’t mean distant — it can mean dynamic. 🌈

Contact Julie Wales today for support, on 📱07412651894 or ✉️ hello@juliewalescounselling.co.uk.

Let’s bust some myths about neurodiverse relationships.These challenges aren’t about a lack of love — they’re about diff...
30/12/2025

Let’s bust some myths about neurodiverse relationships.

These challenges aren’t about a lack of love — they’re about differences in how we experience and express connection.

✨ When we understand that our brains process communication, emotion and empathy in unique ways, we can start to work with those differences rather than against them.

💬 Which of these myths have you heard (or believed) before?

Contact Julie Wales for help with couples communication, on 📱07412651894 or ✉️ hello@juliewalescounselling.co.uk.

When partners have different neurotypes, communication can sometimes feel like you’re speaking different emotional langu...
25/12/2025

When partners have different neurotypes, communication can sometimes feel like you’re speaking different emotional languages. The love is still there — it just needs a new way to be expressed and understood.

💗 Learning to see how you each connect can transform the “disconnect” into understanding.

👉 If this resonates, you’re not alone. I support couples in finding connection that works for both of you.

Contact Julie on 📱07412651894 or ✉️ hello@juliewalescounselling.co.uk.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all who celebrate!Julie will be open for appointments from the 5th January, but in the meantime have ...
25/12/2025

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all who celebrate!

Julie will be open for appointments from the 5th January, but in the meantime have a magical and peaceful Christmas! 🕊️✨🎄🎁

Does this feel familiar? In relationships where one or both partners are neurodivergent, connection can feel like trying...
23/12/2025

Does this feel familiar? In relationships where one or both partners are neurodivergent, connection can feel like trying to translate.

Contact Julie Wales for help with couples communication, on 📱07412651894 or ✉️ hello@juliewalescounselling.co.uk.

Neurodiversity and couples: From miscommunication to connection...When neurodivergent and neurotypical partners learn to...
18/12/2025

Neurodiversity and couples: From miscommunication to connection...

When neurodivergent and neurotypical partners learn to speak each other’s emotional language, connection deepens.

What once caused conflict becomes an opportunity to grow as a team.

You don’t need to communicate like your partner — you just need to communicate for each other.

Love doesn’t fail because two people are different; it falters when those differences aren’t understood. With patience and the right tools, neurodiverse couples can thrive — not despite their differences, but because of them.

Contact Julie today for more counselling information, on 📱07412651894 or ✉️ hello@juliewalescounselling.co.uk.

Address

Cheltenham Mediation & Therapy Rooms, 10 Bath Street, Glos GL50 3QH
Cheltenham
GL501YE

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 2pm - 7pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+447412651894

Website

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