The Counselling Space

At The Counselling Space, All Brains are Welcome! You may wonder what this means.

Neurodiversity recognises the diversity of human brains, that not all brains are alike. About 70% are neurotypical, and our world tends to cater best for this neurotype (brain type), which favours social cohesion, social structure, established ways of doing and thinking about things. Research suggests up to 30% of the population are neurodivergent, with neurotypes that have particular social preferences, learning styles, ways of communicating and ways of perceiving and understanding the environment.

Neurodivergence includes Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Sensory Processing Differences, and a multitude of others. These have historically been perceived as ‘disorders’ that need treating, rather than as differences to be explored, which has led to stigma, discrimination and often traumatic experiences for those of us who are neurodivergent.

There is a growing understanding, from both neuroscientific research and the neurodivergent communities, that brain differences are a normal and important contributor to human evolution and development – neurodivergence can bring heightened pattern recognition and recall capacity, conceptual, ‘out of the box’ and analytical thinking, commitment to fairness, honesty and loyalty, and attention to detail. Indeed, with the neurotypical emphasis on maintaining the social status quo, there is wry humour in neurodivergent circles that suggests:
“…. if the neurodivergent genes were eliminated from the gene pool, you would have a bunch of people standing around in a cave, chatting and socialising and not getting anything done.”

Whilst differences in neuro-types are now recognised as an important part of a person’s identity, similar to race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, or ability, at the same time, the dominant view that sees neurodivergence as a disorder, creates barriers to accessibility and inclusion. Many neurodivergent folk have experienced overwhelm and invalidation as they try to fit into a neurotypical world. Research confirms this leads to higher rates of mental ill health, decreased life satisfaction and chronic health issues for autistic people, ADHD’ers, SPD’ers and other neurodivergent people.

At The Counselling Space, we offer a safe, welcoming and inclusive place of support for neurodivergent people – both children and adults. We help them understand their neurotype, work with their strengths, and explore life hacks and strategies to flourish in the world without masking or camouflaging.

About our Founder and Principal Therapist:
Angie Laussel is the Director and Principal Therapist at The Counselling Space. She has been a therapist for more than 30 years, working in senior clinical roles with health, child, youth and family services. She identifies as neurodivergent, is trauma-informed, and understands people need a safe and welcoming space to share their stories. She understands the many intersections that happen in the neurodivergent world, including the increased likelihood of exploring gender identity and sexuality, the different relationships with food and body image, and the particular and varied ways neurodivergent people engage in friendships, relationships, work and play.

Angie developed ND-Centred Play Therapy (c), an approach for working with neurodivergent children which recognises their different path to play skill development, language acquisition and peer relationships. Angie provides training in this approach to other child therapists and play therapists. The Counselling Space is also a leading local provider of services for children and young people exploring gender identity, and gives support and guidance to families and carers.

For adults, The Counselling Space provides trauma-informed, neurodivergent affirming therapy that understands people are not seeking therapy because they are neurodivergent, they are seeking therapy for anxiety, the stress and burnout of masking, the difficulties of functioning in a neurotypical world, and – frequently – the isolation and loneliness that can result from feeling different.

Angie and her team help people explore and connect to their neuro-tribe, they celebrate and explore the important role of special interests, assist with strategies to reduce sensory overwhelm, support the clients’ goals for living, working, playing and relationships, and never support interventions that promote masking, code-switching or making someone appear “more neurotypical”.

For therapists, counsellors, and mental health practitioners, The Counselling Space also offers training, consults and clinical supervision in providing a more neurodivergent affirming approach to care.