Jessica H Smith, LCSW - S

11/02/2025

♥️🌈🤗We are an autistic-affirming practice. If you have questions for us, please reach out. We are happy to let you know more about how we work.

WHY MIGHT MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY FALL SHORT FOR AUTISTIC PEOPLE?

Given the social and sensory traumas that many Autistic people experience, it is no surprise that the majority of us, up to 80%, suffer from anxiety and/or depression at some point in our lives.

Adult Autistics may describe anxiety as the biggest challenge they deal with, or say they cannot remember a time in their life without it. We are four times more likely to experience clinical depression at least once in our lifetime than the general population, and 2.5 times more likely to have an anxiety disorder.

It also should not be surprising that many Autistic people seek therapy to help them manage these mental health challenges. Why, then, do so many Autistic people report that therapy was a negative or unhelpful experience?

One big reason is that many therapists lack a deep enough understanding of autism to make the therapeutic relationship successful.

If you are an Autistic adult seeking therapy, you deserve to work with a professional who understands and respects your neurotype. You have every right to expect your therapist to modify their approach to meet your unique needs.

Here are five things to look for in a neurodiversity affirming, autism positive professional:

1. The space feels autism friendly

Sensory issues must be taken seriously.

If the waiting area is busy, noisy, or full of harsh lighting and strong smells, it can immediately raise anxiety. Radios, televisions, fluorescent lights, and scents from perfumes, cleaners, or coffee can be overwhelming or even painful.

A sensory friendly environment shows that your therapist understands that comfort and accessibility are part of emotional safety.

2. They understand Autistic communication

A good therapist recognizes that Autistics and non Autistics communicate differently.

They will not misread your slower response time as disinterest, your flat expression as lack of feeling, or your avoidance of eye contact as untrustworthiness. They know that these are normal Autistic traits, not signs of resistance or disengagement.

Being constantly misunderstood in therapy can be deeply discouraging. You deserve someone who listens with curiosity, not judgment, and who sees your communication style as valid.

3. They recognize and support alexithymia

Up to 50% or more of Autistic people experience alexithymia, difficulty identifying and describing emotions.

If you struggle to answer “How does that make you feel?”, a supportive therapist will not take that as refusal or defiance. Instead, they will understand that it might be a real barrier and help you build emotional vocabulary gently and collaboratively.

A good therapist sees alexithymia not as a wall, but as a starting point for learning and growth.

4. They build trust with warmth and patience

Many Autistics carry the scars of bullying, rejection, and misunderstanding. Therapy works best when the relationship feels safe.

A neuro affirming therapist takes time to build rapport before diving into hard topics. They understand slow processing speed and wait for you to respond instead of rushing or rephrasing, because doing so restarts your processing time.

They might offer text or email options for communication between sessions. Most importantly, they treat you with genuine kindness, respect, and interest.

5. They make the process predictable and clear

Autistic people do not thrive in uncertainty. A neuro affirming therapist will explain what to expect, both from sessions and from therapy as a whole.

They will tell you what their role is, what your role is, and what kinds of progress you can expect to work toward, whether that is self awareness, reducing anxiety, or learning self advocacy skills.

They will give clear timelines, avoid overloading you with long monologues, and use visuals or written supports when needed.

Knowing what to expect reduces anxiety and helps you stay engaged.

A tip before you start

If you are searching for a therapist, consider reaching out by email first instead of making a phone call or in person inquiry. You can ask important questions, such as their experience with Autistic clients, communication preferences, or sensory accommodations, without the pressure of an immediate response. Writing also gives you time to think clearly and avoid the stress or social anxiety that live conversations might bring.

This is a short list of things a neurodiversity affirming therapist will do to provide meaningful, respectful therapy to Autistic clients.

There are professionals out there who understand autism deeply, and some specialize in working with Autistic adults, especially those who identify as women or girls.

Help is out there. Just make sure the person you choose truly understands what being Autistic means before you invest your time, energy, or money.

10/05/2025

We're not going anywhere. Come take up as much space as you want with us! [Alt. text: slide 1)rainbow infinity symbol on a white background with words we're here, we're weird, get used to it. slide2) yellow-orange-green-blue gradient background with words Weird. Different. Loud. Quiet. Extra. You Belong. JHS Therapy logo and joy|healing|solidarity]

09/28/2025

Have You Been Restrained or Secluded? Our research survey is still open, and we need to hear your voice and experience.

09/27/2025

Monday, Oct. 6, is the deadline to register to vote in the upcoming elections. You can register and check your registration status at votetexas.gov. You can also visit our website for voting information for Texans with disabilities.

09/27/2025

Please join us in welcoming our newest therapists Jay, Kabir and Zac to JHS Therapy PLLC! We are a neuro-affirming, justice-rooted therapy practice that works with kids, adults, parents/caregivers and families. Link in bio.

09/24/2025

We know it’s been quiet here. Crickets, even.

Our leadership team has been recovering from burnout and the kinds of things that knock the wind out of you when you’ve got nothing left in the tank. But this week has been a lot, and we’ve been thinking about you all.

Now feels like a moment to drop by and touch base.

First, we have an announcement. NeuroClastic is merging with Kind Theory, another autistic-led organization doing beautiful work with the autistic community. We are moving slowly right now, keeping our resources available and hoping to resume some of our operations in the future in partnership with Kind Theory.

And now, let’s talk about yesterday.

When powerful people stand up and announce they’ve found “the answer to autism,” it can feel really frightening. I’m seeing a lot of jokes, and I’ve made some myself — because that’s what we do, right? We turn terror into humour and freeze trauma in a punchline, because sometimes laughter is how we hold each other when the world is so heavy.

We know that for many of us, yesterday was frightening. We watched our lives, our children, and our bodies become someone else’s talking points. For autistic people — and for autistic parents especially — it’s very personal.

We want to say this clearly: you didn’t do anything wrong when you reached for relief in your moment of pain. The data in the study referred to in yesterday’s announcement does not say that Tylenol causes autism.

It shows correlation without causation.

It’s like saying 100% of people using umbrellas have wet shoes; therefore, umbrellas cause wet shoes. The two things happen together, but one doesn’t cause the other.

We wouldn’t be NeuroClastic if we told you what to think. Instead, we explain some research terms and factors that can influence data, which are useful to understand when reading studies:

🔎Observational/cohort-style: when researchers watch what’s already happening in the real world instead of setting up an experiment. They don’t assign people to groups or control what happens, just observe and collect data.
🔎Recall bias: When a study relies on people remembering things from the past, memory isn’t always reliable. Some people forget details, some recall incorrectly, and some remember more clearly if the event had a significant emotional impact.
🔎Confounding variables: something that sneaks in and makes it look like two things are directly related - like the shoes and umbrellas.
Differences in measurement: what does ‘use of acetaminophen’ mean for this study, how much, when, frequency, duration, etc.
🔎Population differences: when the group of people studied isn’t the same as the group of people you’re trying to understand, the results may not apply in the same way.
🔎Conflicts of interest/funding: when the people doing or funding a study have something to gain (or lose) depending on what the results say. It doesn’t always mean the research is false, but it does mean you should read it with extra caution. In the case of a pharmaceutical study, it might mean looking at whether an alternative drug is recommended and who might benefit, etc.

Autism diagnoses are rising, yes, but not because there’s ‘an epidemic’. It’s because more of us are finally being counted. Criteria have widened, awareness has grown, stigma has lessened (still a way to go), kids with complex health needs are surviving, families are seeking diagnoses for services, and, importantly, autistic people often find one another deeply attractive. What looks to some like an epidemic is partly love.

Autism is not a tragedy, and our lives are not a disease, but some autistic lives are exceptionally hard. Some of us wouldn’t change being autistic for anything, some of us would change it in a moment if we could, and many of us don’t have the privilege of reliable communication to say what we’d choose given the chance. None of us are wrong. Pride and pain can exist together.

So many parents who are hurting want relief for their kids and for themselves, and that doesn’t make them villains. What is dangerous is when leaders exploit that love and fear to sell cures or scapegoat the most vulnerable among us while calling it care.

What’s needed now, more than ever, is people who are willing to see the full humanity of autistic lives. We need nuance and critical thinking. We need accomplices who will stand with us in this moment.

And friends, you do not need to prove your worth. Your lives are not valuable because of productivity charts or compliance points or how easy you are to manage; you are valuable because you exist.

You are not here to feed capitalism or to justify yourselves through usefulness.

We matter because we are here, and we are human. We are an essential ingredient of humanity.

-Kate

09/23/2025

09/23/2025

Introducing 3 new therapists! Check out our new and improved website.

We offer neuro-affirming, justice-rooted therapy for kids, adults, parents/caregivers and families navigating life’s many complexities. Whatever brings you here, we believe discovering your authentic self is a journey best supported with gentle guidance at your own pace.

08/28/2025

"Dr. Stacy Greeter, a psychiatrist in Florida who has both autism and ADHD, brings a refreshing approach to medical practice while providing neurodiversity-affirming care. And her patients find it validating and transformative. A public advocate for autistic doctors and for making medical training more supportive for them, Dr. Greeter spoke with me and explained what autistic doctors have to offer."
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisonescalante/2025/08/26/why-patients-benefit-from-seeing-an-autistic-doctor/ #:~:text=Dr.%20Stacy%20Greeter,have%20to%20offer.

Autistic doctors offer deep pattern recognition, nonjudgmental listening, and affirming care. Here’s why that matters to patients.