Vanguard Neurodiversity Training for Counsellors and Psychotherapists

15/07/2025

So much of our work with late-discovery autistic adult clients is about identity and wellbeing. Our clients were never broken beings needing repair. They were always perfect autistic humans navigating a self that they had no opportunity to completely know, along with surviving a society that could not know them either. Being a neuroaffirming practitioner makes so much of a difference in the quality of experience at such an important time in a late-identifying autistic person's life.

Join us on august 9th LIVE ONLINE for a one day Summer Symposium.
There are

workshops,
presentations
discussions
free handouts

all around attuning with increased insights, and doing good therapy with autistic adult clients.

We have a great line up of speakers, with so much of their expertise and insights to share,all related to working therapeutically with autistic adults - including: being free of internalised stigma and ableism, the menopause, unmasking, grief and loss, lessons from a neuroaffirming autism assessor, and working sensitively with issues of exploration, adjustment, transition and disclosure.

here is the listing with full details of speakers and their workshops, as well as how to get a ticket

Join us for our Summer Symposium 2025. One Day online. Training, workshops and discussions about doing therapy with autistic adult clients

15/04/2025

We are running this Neuroaffirming course again starting SEPTEMBER 2025. Online (Zoom) on Saturdays : The ‘Certificate in Working Therapeutically With Autistic Adults’. With client-work based presentations, and research info, drawn together with our discussions as a training group.
It’s not a ‘model’ of therapy, as such. But the training focused on being neuroaffirming, culturally attuned, trauma-informed, and social-justice minded, - focussing on the wellbeing of autistic clients.
Quote from Vanguard Neurodiversity Training: "We take the positionality of the bio-psycho-social model, rather than the medical model, in all that we believe in. The course presentations are around big subjects, such as energy management, relationships, minority stress, knowing the self and meeting needs, workplace, trauma, burnout, being a human being, the history of autism as it relates to us therapists, and much more. We meet for training on Zoom and there’s a supervision group / safe space included in the course fees. You can see the course details here, which - with a longer description of it.
There are some video clips of training segments, of the actual course which ran last time back in February-May 2024:

30/12/2024

We are running this Neuroaffirming course again starting MARCH 2025. Online (Zoom) on Saturdays : The ‘Certificate in Working Therapeutically With Autistic Adults’. With client-work based presentations, and research info, drawn together with our discussions as a training group.
It’s not a ‘model’ of therapy, as such. But the training focused on being neuroaffirming, culturally attuned, trauma-informed, and social-justice minded, - focussing on the wellbeing of autistic clients.
Quote from Vanguard Neurodiversity Training: "We take the positionality of the bio-psycho-social model, rather than the medical model, in all that we believe in. The course presentations are around big subjects, such as energy management, relationships, minority stress, knowing the self and meeting needs, workplace, trauma, burnout, being a human being, the history of autism as it relates to us therapists, and much more. We meet for training on Zoom and there’s a supervision group / safe space included in the course fees. You can see the course details here, which - with a longer description of it.
There are some video clips of training segments, of the actual course which ran last time back in February-May 2024:

Neuroaffirming Courses for qualified psychotherapists and counsellors. Vanguard Neurodiversity Training offers live interactive training by autistic psychotherapists, supervisors, & trainers. Vauna Beauvais and Eoin Stephens online learning for counselling and psychotherapy with autistic clients

27/10/2024

Autistic psychotherapists Vauna Beauvais and Eoin Stephens engage in a collegial discussion about the relationship between autism and trauma. They explore how autistic individuals experience trauma resulting from an accumulation of everyday experiences rather than single catastrophic events.

The conversation delves into concepts such as situational mutism, hypervigilance, and the "double empathy problem," shedding light on how these manifest in autistic individuals as responses to traumatic experience during everyday life. Vauna and Eoin emphasise the importance of recognising these signs not as autistic traits, but as indicators of deep-seated trauma.

Throughout the discussion, they highlight the need for a more nuanced understanding of autism-related trauma in therapeutic settings. They argue that there's an "invisibility" to this type of trauma that needs to be addressed by health professionals and therapists, calling for more compassionate and informed approaches to supporting autistic people in dealing with trauma.

PTSD and Autistic people. 5 big questions:1) What is Damian Milton's concept of the "double empathy problem," and how does it contribute to trauma in autisti...

27/10/2024

Unintentional Trauma Autistic People Have Everyday Due To The Double Empathy Problem (one-minute video)

Autistic psychotherapists Vauna Beauvais and Eoin Stephens, explore early-onset hypervigilance in autistic individuals as a response to unpredictable and potentially traumatic experiences from childhood. Drawing on Damian Milton's "double empathy problem," they discuss how the communication gap between autistic and non-autistic individuals begins at birth, leading to inadvertent traumatisation. The conversation emphasises that this trauma isn't intentionally inflicted but simply existing in a neuronormative society can be a source of ongoing stress and trauma for autistic people throughout their lives.

Highlighting early-onset hypervigilance in autistic individuals and how this heightened state of alertness begins from a very young age. The speakers discuss...

27/10/2024

Whistleblowing While Autistic: Understanding the Traumatic Aftermath (one minute video)
As autistic psychotherapists, Vauna Beauvais and Eoin Stephens frequently encounter clients who have experienced profound workplace trauma, often resulting from whistleblowing or scapegoating. These experiences can lead to debilitating agoraphobia and shutdown in autistic individuals, manifesting as an inability to leave home or even get out of bed for work. Recognizing these as legitimate trauma responses they observe how repeated exposure to misunderstanding and sensory overload contributes to complex PTSD in autistic individuals.

As autistic psychotherapists, Vauna Beauvais and Eoin Stephens, often encounter clients who've experienced profound trauma in the workplace. We've seen how w...

27/10/2024

The landscape of autism discourse has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years, largely driven by the proliferation of internet access and social media platforms. This technological shift has empowered autistic individuals to share their lived experiences, challenging long-held misconceptions and reshaping societal understanding of autism.

The democratisation of information has not only influenced how autism is perceived and understood but has also had far-reaching effects on policy-making, self-identification among autistic adults, and the acceptance of neurodiversity.

This evolution represents a broader societal trend that questions traditional sources of authority and blurs the lines between expert and lay knowledge. As a result, there's been a significant increase in the number of adults recognising and declaring their autistic identity, a phenomenon that would have been unlikely without these new channels of information dissemination. The impact extends beyond individual self-discovery to influence research priorities, therapeutic approaches, and policy decisions at national and international levels.

The video is full of illustrative stories from the world of counselling and psychotherapy, and gives plenty of references to relevant authors. As well as to autistic advocates who are part of this post-truth era revolution, as Vauna Beauvais and Eoin Stephens highlight the profound impact that autistic voices have had on reshaping the autism narrative. Their insights, both as autistic individuals and as psychotherapists working with autistic clients, underscore the importance of lived experience in understanding autism.

You can see the video here:

Vauna Beauvais and Eoin Stephens, both autistic adults and psychotherapists who discovered their autism later in life, discuss the profound changes in autism...

27/10/2024

Our weekly chats as autistic psychotherapists. Real autism, mental health and well-being.

the whole podcast listings (playlist)

As autistic psychotherapists, we hope this video podcast provides insightful discussions and practical resources for counsellors, psychotherapists, and psych...

27/10/2024

In this compelling dialogue, experienced psychotherapists Vauna Beauvais and Eoin Stephens offer a nuanced exploration of internalized stigma and autophobia in autistic adults. Drawing from both their clinical expertise and lived experience as autistic practitioners, they examine the complex interplay between societal messaging, personal identity, and therapeutic practice.

This discussion provides valuable insights for mental health professionals working with autistic clients, particularly those diagnosed in adulthood. Their analysis of shame, status dynamics, disclosure decisions, and the therapeutic process of addressing internalised stigma offers practical frameworks for clinical application while challenging conventional deficit-based narratives.

This episode is particularly relevant for practitioners seeking to deepen their understanding of neurodiversity-affirming therapeutic approaches and the subtle manifestations of internalised ableism in clinical work.

Autistic Adults Overcoming Internalised Stigma and Autophobia

12/10/2024

Vauna Beauvais and Eoin Stephens, both autistic psychotherapists, taalk about their approach to understanding autistic mental health in this compelling video chat. They introduce the four-domain framework - encompassing personal, interpersonal, societal, and political spheres - as a tool for therapists to better comprehend the multifaceted lives of their autistic clients. This holistic perspective is a key component of their Vanguard Neurodiversity Training, aimed at enhancing neuroaffirming therapeutic practices for therapist working with autistic adults.

The two speakers stress the interconnectedness of these domains, illustrating how factors like school experiences, community dynamics, and societal attitudes collectively shape an autistic person's mental wellbeing. By encouraging therapists to look beyond individual behaviors and consider the broader context, Vauna and Eoin offer a way forward to frame the understanding of autistic lives in a comprehensive way and inform thinking about an empathetic approach to supporting autistic clients as a therapist.

- Why is it important to view autistic experiences through multiple interconnected lenses? - How do societal misconceptions about autism affect mental heal...

08/10/2024

My short article offers a critical examination of the recent surge in adult autism recognition, drawing on insights from my dual perspective as an autistic person and practicing psychotherapist. It comments on the complex interplay of social, political, and technological factors that have led to this significant shift in our understanding of autism.
The piece delves into the historical barriers that have obscured autistic identities, while exploring how digital platforms have revolutionised autistic self-discovery and community building. It presents a challenging analysis of the political dimensions of autism, examining how societal structures, particularly within neoliberal frameworks, have impacted neurodivergent individuals.
For us therapists, this article is an introduction to thinking about the evolving landscape of neurodiversity and social justice. It provides a crucial call to action, inviting a reevaluation of current practices and a move towards more collaborative, affirming approaches in working with autistic clients.

The dramatic surge in adult autism recognition and its profound societal implications. The political awakening surrounding autistic identity, challenging long-held assumptions and exposing systemic failures. Digital platforms, language shifts, and intersectional movements are reshaping autism awaren

20/09/2024

In this 40-minute conversation, autistic psychotherapists Eoin Stephens and Vauna Beauvais explore OCD and autism.
They begin by acknowledging the higher prevalence of OCD among autistic individuals, while emphasising the importance of distinguishing between OCD symptoms and autistic traits that may appear similar on the surface. The discussion focuses on the key differences in motivation, emotional experience, and function of behaviors that may look alike but have very different underlying causes.
Throughout the discussion, Eoin and Vauna draw on their personal experiences as autistic individuals and their professional insights as psychotherapists. They explore therapeutic considerations, such as the potential pitfalls of reassurance-seeking in OCD treatment and the importance of recognising the value of certain autistic traits that might be mistaken for OCD symptoms.

Is there a heightened prevalence of OCD in autistic populations?What are the key distinctions between enthusiasms and interests in autistic people and obsess...