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Now Accepting New Clients in California


(650) 681-1548   |   admin@opendoorstherapy.com

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Tasha Oswald

Group Therapy

Do you have autistic traits or love someone on the autism spectrum and you’re looking for a support group?

Are you wanting to connect with others who get you? Who can relate to your lived experience as an autistic or neurodivergent person? Are you looking for a sense of connection and belonging, and interested to explore your own neurodiversity in a supportive group?

We offer online group therapy in California for neurodivergent adults and teens with autistic traits. You or your child may have autism traits, social-communication difficulties, social anxiety, or even a diagnosis of Asperger’s, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or PDDNOS.

You might be looking for a group of people who are similar to you and who can understand you on a deeper level. This is why we run therapy groups specifically for neurodivergent people with autistic traits.

What are "Autistic Traits" in Adults and Teens?

Do any of these sound familiar?

    • You feel like you're "performing" in social situations or masking who you are to fit in
    • You often worry about saying or doing the "wrong thing"
    • You can feel overstimulated (ex: by loud noises, textures, crowds), and have to isolate yourself to cope
    • You have difficulty interpreting what others are thinking or feeling
    • You hate small talk
    • You script or practice what you will say
    • When you feel overwhelmed you might shutdown or meltdown
    • You might miss someone's meaning if they are indirect or sarcastic
    • You like to monologue about things you're passionate about (ex: your hobby or work)
    • You don't like white lies
    • You get frustrated or overwhelmed by changes to your routine
    • It's common for you to worry about failure
    • You think you have autistic traits and relate with what you've read about autism
    • You overthink social situations
    • Certain sensory stimulation can feel extremely painful or overwhelming
    • It's hard to understand others' facial expressions, body language, or social cues
    • You have difficulty regulating emotion at times
    • People might say you are blunt, rude, cold, or look bored or angry when you don't feel that way
    • It can be hard to know when/how to take turns in a conversation
    • You might find certain repetitive behaviors soothing (ex: rocking, spinning, pacing, chewing)

If you noticed that some of the traits listed above feel familiar to you, you may have autistic traits. Having autistic traits may have lead you to feel different than others or isolated. In fact, you might even feel like an alien at times. Humans can feel confusing and unpredictable. And no matter how hard you try to understand them, they just never really make sense. They have arbitrary social rules, they can say things they don't mean, and they can beat around the bush. In your interactions with others, you might feel like there are constant misunderstandings. This can be incredibly frustrating and lead you to feel invalidated, hurt, and more alone.

You are not alone. There are many neurodivergent people feeling the same way as you. Our therapy groups are a safe space for you to find and connect with your people!

 

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Autistic person standing alone to illustrate how some people with autistic traits struggle to relate to others. Support groups for adults and teens with Aspergers. San Fransisco Bay, CA

What Are The Benefits of Group Therapy?

Group therapy is a very effective way to help individuals who have autistic traits feel more connected and learn how to navigate a world that doesn't always feel made for them. Our groups help you better understand your neurodivergent identity and develop self-care strategies that honor your unique wiring and needs.

Our mental health therapists are experts in the area of autism. They have extensive training and experience facilitating groups for neurodivergent individuals and some also have lived experience as a neurodivergent or queer person.

Some of the specific benefits of participating in group therapy include:

  • Having a potentially life-changing experience of connecting with others in a meaningful way
  • Feeling like you’re not alone because of your supportive and encouraging group
  • Feeling relief that others have similar challenges
  • Learning from the collective wisdom of the group
  • Building skills to reduce stress and manage overwhelm

What Will You Be Doing In Group?

Group Discussions

With your group members you will explore a range of autism-related topics, such as navigating autistic masking and burnout, relationship challenges and miscommunication, anxiety, executive functioning difficulties, workplace issues, and later life ASD diagnosis. The group facilitator will provide education around these topics as well. Through education and listening to your group members share about their experiences, you'll gain new insights into yourself. You'll learn about what works for you, and what supports you most effectively to grow and thrive.

Self-Reflection Activities

You'll engage in self-reflection activities to learn more about yourself and your neurodiversity, and better meet your needs. You might at times feel stressed, full of self-doubt, uncertain of how to handle a situation, or stuck. Or, you might frequently not know how you feel or feel confused or torn. Your feelings might just sometimes take over. In social situations, you might get stuck your head, overthinking and anxious. And when things go wrong, you might be extremely self-critical and beat yourself up. Inside there can be a lot going on for you. It's likely most people don't even realize how complex your inner experience is. It can feel so messy and all mixed up, that you even struggle to know what's going on inside. The self-reflection activities we do are based on the IFS Approach. They help you gain more clarity, perspective, self-compassion, and a sense of calm. When you tune inward, and gain validation and support from your group, you'll realize that you make a lot of sense and you have a lot of inner wisdom that can help guide you in life.

Through group, you’ll gain insights and skills to:

    • Reduce Stress & Frustration
    • Support Your Sensory Needs and Manage Sensory Overload
    • Find Inner Balance and a Sense of Calm
    • Understand Your Feelings and Needs with Clarity
    • Feel More Comfortable Being Your Authentic Self
    • Be More Present and Less Anxious in Social Interactions
    • Feel More Flexible and Adaptable When Changes in Life Occur
    • Feel More Confident Taking Steps in Life Toward Your Goals

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What’s Group Therapy Like?

When you decide to participate in group therapy at Open Doors Therapy, you'll be placed in a group with others who are in a similar phase of life and have similar treatment goals.  Our group therapy participants go through two main stages of treatment:

Stage 1:  Pre-Group Counseling

  • You’ll have up to 4 individual counseling sessions with your therapist
  • You’ll get to know your therapist and build trust
  • You’ll address your concerns and anxiety around starting group
  • You’ll learn what to expect from group, so you’ll feel prepared for it

Stage 2:  Group Therapy

  • You’ll be matched with up to 8 other group members based on SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS
  • You’ll probably feel nervous at first, but over time you’ll get to know and TRUST each other
  • You’ll see that you HAVE IN COMMON many issues and struggles
  • You’ll LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF
  • You’ll UNDERSTAND and EMPATHIZE with each other’s challenges
  • You’ll ENCOURAGE and INSPIRE each other
  • You’ll have FUN together
  • You’ll help each other PROBLEM-SOLVE
  • You’ll gain the CONFIDENCE to take steps in life to ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Book Free Consultation

Which Group Fits Me Best?Group of adults with high functioning autism in group therapy at Open Doors Therapy in Palo Alto, CA

We have a lot of different support and therapy groups for individuals with autistic traits, Aspergers or other forms of neurodiversity and their loved ones.  If you're overwhelmed looking at this list, just reach out today for a free consultation.

We carefully select each person we place in a new group to ensure you will get the most benefit from your group therapy experience.  Therefore, we want to talk to you beforehand and find out about your stage in life and what you hope to gain from the group.  If you're unsure which group is a good fit, we'll help you figure it out.

If you’re an adult with autism traits, you might fit into one of these groups:

If you’re a caregiver or a youth with autism traits:

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Person texting on a phone. Call today to begin group therapy and social skills groups for autism in the San Fransisco Bay Area!

Take the first step today and call to learn more about our groups!

Individual Counseling Services at Open Doors Therapy

Are you still unsure about the idea of a group?  Have you had a bad experience in a group before and want to do some individual counseling before joining a group?  Or do you feel like you need help now and don't want to wait for a new group to form?  We also offer counseling for neurodiverse individuals (Aspergers, diagnosed Autism, undiagnosed autism traits, etc) as well as individual counseling to support parents.  If you are interested in any of our services, please reach out to Open Doors Therapy today.  We'd love to talk to you about what service would be the best resource for you and/or your loved one!