AUTISM & NEURODIVERGENT INDIVIDUALS

At Happy Brain we have expertise in working with people who are neurodivergent, meaning they may be Autistic or identify as an ADHD-er or perhaps they are Dyslexic or Dysgraphic. We understand that these differences can make simple everyday tasks really challenging. At Happy Brain we take a strength based approach, focusing on utilising what you or your child are good at and utilising these towards therapeutic goals. We are always adjusting our approach to suit your needs and requirements.

Some of the things we do include:

  • Utilising the child or young person’s interest in therapy e.g., technology, favourite games, cartoon characters

  • Utilise techniques less reliant on verbal communication e.g., art and expressive therapies such as sand play and play based therapies

  • Children learn through play so often we modify evidence based techniques to engage children to learn about their feelings and incorporate thinking strategies.

Interoception Training

Alexithymia is a condition that affects the ability to detect internal body signals and sensations. The Neurodiverse population are vulnerable to developing Alexithymia and often report “not being able to feel their feelings” sometimes they have difficulty detecting pain, hunger, thirst etc. At Happy Brain we understand that understanding your internal sensations are important skills to ensure you can respond to your body in a meaningful and informed way. At Happy Brain we offer interoception training for all ages.

Parenting & Understanding Behaviours

At Happy Brain we pride ourselves on working with the individual to build skills and improve wellbeing but also partnering with families to help improve understanding and provide strategies and techniques to ensure the best possible outcomes. At Happy Brain our therapists are trained across attachment based parenting principles, collaborative problem-solving and mindful parenting.

We respect the privacy of each child regarding their disclosure of information during counselling. We are able to tell you an outline of what the sessions involved are but unless your child wants to tell you, or the content is harmful to themselves or someone else, the content will remain confidential.

At Happy Brain we work holistically with the family unit. It may be a requirement for the parents or caregivers to participate in the information and strategy sessions while your child is participating in counselling.