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Tasha Oswald

Individual Autism Therapy

You want to go to individual counseling, but you’re afraid the therapist won’t understand you.  In fact, maybe you’ve tried therapy before and felt like it didn't quite fit your needs. Something was missing.

There is a difference between counseling with a therapist who has heard of autism, and a therapist who specializes in neurodiversity and autism.

 

Does this sound like you?

  • You have difficulty reading social cues and wish people would just be direct
  • You’re intellectually gifted but have always struggled to understand social interactions
  • You feel alone or like the odd person out
  • You feel anxiety when there are unexpected changes in your routine
  • You’ve wondered if you were autistic
  • Your child was diagnosed with autism and now you realize you might be on the autism spectrum
  • You might have a diagnosis of social anxiety, Asperger’s or high functioning autism

If so, you may have what we call “autistic traits,” high functioning autism or what used to be called Asperger's.  These traits mean you see things a little differently than most people, and it’s really important that you see a mental health professional who understands.  You want someone who is an expert in this area and can really help you get the most out of your counseling experience! We offer services to clients across the state of California through Online Therapy and in-person at our Palo Alto, CA clinic.

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Picture of a man with autistic traits in individual counseling. Individual Autism Therapy, counseling for autistic adults, Palo Alto social skills classes or Asperger teen counseling available in Silicon Valley.

 

Individual Counseling For Adults & Teens with Autism Traits

You will benefit from our counseling services if you feel uncomfortable interacting with others, you get frustrated or overwhelmed by changes to your routine, you worry about failure and so you avoid trying new things or setting goals, you think you have autism traits, and you wish you could handle stress better and life could feel easier.

Our Palo Alto Autism Counseling Clinic offers in-person services and Online Therapy, which specializes in helping adults and teens in Silicon Valley who identify as neurodiverse, having autistic traits, diagnosed autism or Aspergers.  We offer a variety of therapeutic and support groups, but we also offer individual counseling.  Our mental health professionals are autism experts.  Therefore, you’ll feel more understood by our therapists than you might have in counseling before.  We’ll help you explore the things in your life you find challenging, teach you new skills and give you space to grow.  Through individual counseling, you'll increase your self confidence and be more independent.

Specific Benefits of Individual Counseling at Open Doors Counseling

Through individual counseling sessions with one of our autism mental health professionals, you’ll increase your self awareness and learn new skills including:

  • Strategies to reduce social anxiety and improve your communication and social skills
  • How to build closer relationships and friendships
  • Techniques to reduce worries around setting goals and making changes in your life
  • How to tolerate change more easily and increase in flexible thinking

In counseling sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to explore your identity, challenges, and concerns in a nonjudgmental space.  As you begin to identify what you care about in life and how to make your life more fulfilling we will build the skills to help you reach those new goals.  Then, you’ll have the space to practice the new skills you are learning and the support to problem solve any challenges that come up.

Book Free Consultation
 

Grounding stone with the word "journey." Start individual counseling for autistic adults and Asperger's teens who are gifted or high functioning autism at Open Doors Therapy in Silicon Valley, in the San Francisco peninsula near San Jose California.

 

What’s Individual Counseling Like at Open Doors Therapy?

You’ll meet on a regular basis, typically every week for 1 hour, with one of our therapists specializing in neurodiversity. Over time you’ll build trust and feel understood by your therapist. Together you’ll work collaboratively on addressing issues that are important to you. You’ll work at a pace that is comfortable for you. Through counseling, you will practice strategies to communicate more effectively with people, become more relaxed during social interactions, reduce anxiety around change, enhance your problem-solving skills, and more.

Our Approach to Individual Counseling

You are an individual, so we will tailor your therapy experience to help you meet your individual goals. For instance, some of the therapeutic approaches we use include Internal Family Systems, Social Skills Training, Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), EMDR, and art therapy.  Through your work in counseling sessions, you’ll begin to build skills and overcome the challenges that are causing you to feel frustrated or overwhelmed. You’ll grow in confidence and skills.

As with many of our individual counseling clients, you may decide to transition to group therapy in order to hone your social skills and connect with other neurodiverse peers who can relate and empathize with you. If appropriate, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss the value of group therapy and whether you want to prepare to join one of our groups.

Individual Counseling Fee

Range $180-$250 per 50-minute session of individual counseling

Learn more about fees and payment

 

Begin Autism Therapy in Palo Alto

If you live in California, feel like you may have some autistic traits and would like to begin individual therapy, we can help.  Things can be easier.  You can find someone who understands, reduce your stress and find new ways to relate to the world around you. Let us help.

The first step to beginning individual therapy is to set up a free consultation.

Book Free Consultation

Adult with Aspergers at peace on a California mountain. Palo Alto autism therapy and individual counseling for neurodiversity

Let us help you or your loved one find peace, connection and meaning in your life!

Other Services & Autism Resources at Open Doors Therapy

Sometimes it may feel hard or overwhelming to figure out what type of service is best for you or to take that first step of reaching out. At Open Door Therapy, we understand this.  As a Palo Alto counseling clinic that specializes in helping teens and adults with autistic traits, we understand the unique challenges of finding high quality autism resources. Our licensed mental health professionals are autism experts. During your initial phone call, we will help guide you through the process of  figuring out which service will suit you best.  Whether you’re looking for individual counseling, supportive group therapy for several different age groups/populations, workshops on neuro diversity  or support for parents of a child with autism, we are here to help.

The first step is to set up a free consultation. We offer a variety of resources and want to help make sure to match you with the right service. We will help guide you, step-by-step through the process of beginning autism therapy, a support/social skills group, or a related service.