Not So Typical Counselling

10/11/2025

COMING SOON! ⭐ Dr Luke Beardon; Autistic Anxiety and Trauma ⭐ 26th November

PLEASE NOTE: This event is open to parents, family carers and professionals in EAST RENFREWSHIRE ONLY!
We're over-the-moon author and Senior Lecturer in Autism; Dr Luke Beardon will join The Autistic Collective on Zoom on Wednesday 26th November at 10.00am - 12.00pm.

On the day, Luke will explore Autistic Anxiety and Trauma. There will be time to ask questions at the end.

This is a not-to-be-missed session and a fantastic opportunity for parents and carers - and people who support Autistic people and their families across East Renfrewshire!

As an international speaker, Luke has addressed The United Nations, UK’s Government at Westminster and hundreds of national and international conferences.

Widespread across the media including BBC’s multi-award-winning Inside Our Autistic Minds, Luke’s passion is creating better lives for Autistic people and their families.

We’d love you to join us on Zoom on 26th November from 10.00am - 12.00pm.

On the day, Luke will be unpacking Autistic Anxiety and Trauma.

Autistic people are not born highly anxious. And yet so many evolve into suffering from pathological levels of anxiety. If being Autistic doesn't lead automatically to being anxious, then the anxiety must stem from somewhere else.

Based on his principle of Autism + Environment = Outcome (in this case anxiety), Luke will explore what can be done to reduce the trauma of being an anxious Autistic person, including:

✨ Is there any such thing as Autistic Anxiety - if so, what is it and how might it differ?

✨ Theory of Global Stability

✨ Autism + Environment = Outcome

✨ What does environment consist of?

✨ Proposals to consider

✨ Energy is currency - how to stay out of debt!

✨ Short Q&A at the end

This session will be suitable for those supporting Autistic people of all ages, adults included.
⭐ WHO IS THIS SESSION FOR?

Parents and family carers in East Renfrewshire.

We also welcome with open arms professionals who support Autistic people and their families in East Renfrewshire. As we all learn together, side by side.

We work hard to create safe (as-can-be) spaces, to ensure ALL participants feel as comfortable as possible. Speakers and hosts (that's us!) included.

Our events and activities are always informed and guided by what we hear from East Renfrewshire folks and speakers during sessions and afterwards in our feedback forms.
⭐ WHAT CAN I EXPECT ON THE DAY?

This will be an informal Zoom session in a slide presentation format, packed with loads of info and research.

After brief introductions and a wee bit of Zoom housekeeping, Luke will work his way through his presentation slides. The slides section of the session will be recorded.

Once the slides have finished, we’ll stop the recording. There will be time for a short Q&A at the end.

Huge caveat - our speakers always endeavour to answer as many questions on the day, as they can. Sometimes, even with the best of intentions, it’s simply not possible. We know you’re all extremely busy people, and we’ll be going for a 12.00pm finish.

Whilst some difficult themes may arise, we always aim for informative and empowering, in a nurturing environment. We pride ourselves on being a friendly, inclusive bunch.
HOW DO I REGISTER TO BOOK MY PLACE FOR THE SESSION ON 26th NOVEMBER?

Please register to book your fully-funded place using the link below.

✨✨✨Register at www.autistic-collective.org ✨✨✨

Note: This event is open to parents and carers, and professionals in East Renfrewshire only.

Can’t join us live on the day itself? Don’t worry, please register anyway. All registrants will get access to the recording and extra resources afterwards.

Only the presentation slide section will be recorded.

Note: In the recording, the speaker will be the only person visible on your screen, and comments made in the chat box on the day will have been removed.

All participants’ autonomy, privacy and safety are utmost here at The Autistic Collective!

Any queries, or for further info please email hello@autistic-collective.org
⭐ WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKER AND HOST?

DR LUKE BEARDON

Dr Luke Beardon; Senior Lecturer in Autism, is the sole author of eight books on autism and has multiple additional publications.

As an international speaker he has addressed The United Nations, UK’s Government at Westminster and hundreds of national and international conferences.

A multiple recipient of inspirational teaching awards, he is also a winner of Lifetime Achievement Awards as well as the coveted National Autistic Society Award for Individual Educational Professional. As one of the twenty-eight chosen individuals across the globe, he presents on the Autism Masterclass and continues to teach Masters level courses at Sheffield Hallam University while supervising Doctoral students.

Widespread across the media including BBC’s Inside Our Autistic Minds which won the Best Science Documentary at the 2023 Grierson Awards, Best Representation of Disability at the MIPCOM Diversify 2023 TV Awards and Best Specialist Factual Programme at the 2024 Broadcast Awards (BBC Media Centre, 2024) and as a guest on multiple podcasts across the globe, Luke’s passion is creating better lives for Autistic people and their families.

https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/autism/2024/08/14/luke-beardon-profile-summary/

THE AUTISTIC COLLECTIVE CIC

The Autistic Collective is a Community Interest Company, made up of a small team of parent/carer volunteers.

We support parents and family carers - and anyone who supports Autistic people and their families in East Renfrewshire - through learning and empowerment.

We signpost to and collaborate with neuro-affirming Autistic / Neurodivergent-led organisations and speakers, authors and content creators to host learning events and activities to educate from the Autistic (and multiply Neurodivergent) lived-experience perspective.

Please do share this page with friends, family and professionals and colleagues. Your support means the world to us, as it allows us to reach more families in need.

https://www.facebook.com/AutisticCER
Poster design credit: Laura Gwafa The Marketing Department (TMD)

Big thanks to TMD's Laura, James and Chris for all your supreme skills and support!

10/11/2025

🌿 The Diagnosis That Changed Everything (Twice) 🌿
Not So Typical ways to thrive — because thriving shouldn’t feel like a full-time job.

Today feels like a bit of a full-circle moment — I’ve just found out I passed my MSc in Autism and Neurodiversity with a merit! 🎉

It’s a milestone that means a lot, because this whole journey started in a very personal place.

When my daughter was diagnosed as autistic, my world shifted in the best possible way. I threw myself into learning everything I could to understand and support her. Along the way, a lot of things about me started to make sense too — and that led to my own diagnosis.

Those discoveries changed not just my life, but my work. I decided to specialise in neurodiversity and eventually re-launched my counselling practice as Not So Typical — a space where neurodiverse adults can explore what thriving, not just surviving really looks like.

💬 Over the years, I’ve heard so many people say they feel misunderstood or exhausted from “keeping it all together.”
And I get it — because I’ve been there too.

Thriving doesn’t mean having everything perfectly sorted (wouldn’t that be nice?). It’s about finding what works for you — not the version of you the world expects.

For some, it’s remembering medication without three alarms and a post-it note.
For others, it’s giving themselves permission to rest without guilt.
For me, it’s learning to laugh at my own wonderfully wired ways — and helping others see theirs as strengths, not flaws.

That’s what Not So Typical is all about:
✨ real stories
✨ practical reflections
✨ and ideas grounded in both lived experience and research — shared with humour and heart.

🌱 Reflect & Reset:

What would thriving — not just surviving look like for you this week?
What’s one small shift that might take you a step closer?

Maybe it’s asking for help.
Maybe it’s planning less.
Or maybe it’s simply noticing that you’re already doing your best. 💛

If this resonates with you, I’d love you to follow this page and keep an eye out for my new Not So Typical newsletter — launching soon!
It’ll be full of reflections, research insights and small, realistic steps to help neurodivergent adults thrive.

🗓 Posted every second Tuesday of the month — because, let’s be honest, Mondays are overrated. 😉

—
👋 About me:
I’m Georgina, an Integrative Counsellor and Coach specialising in neurodiversity, autism, ADHD and PDA. I combine lived experience with evidence-based practice to help people move from surviving to thriving.

Follow me for gentle humour, honest conversations, and down-to-earth strategies for your wonderfully wired mind. 🌿

29/10/2025

I actually love this!

11/10/2025

…..And here we go again.
Not many weeks after the Gregg Wallace “Autism means I can’t wear pants” headlines, more negative headlines about neurodiversity. This time PDA, Pathological Demand Avoidance. The headline is misleading, but aren’t they always?

The response of most people “Never like it my day”, “I wouldn’t let a child of mine get away with it”, “There’s no discipline anymore”, “You’ve just got to be tougher on them”. I’ve posted a few of the comments on the article. Although there were some supportive ones that understood neurodiversity, most don’t

PDA hasn’t made it into the Big Book of Mental Health Conditions, The DSM 5 because it is so new, and massively underreached that it hasn’t got an official space in there, yet.

That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist and doesn’t cause distress to the lives of those who have the profile and those that live and love them. I often see clients who have an unrecognised PDA profile and after a few questions, I explain what it is and how it shows up in their lives, and I can see a lightbulb turning on above their head. Then by changing the way they approach things and those in their life approach things, their levels of distress.

PDA is profile of autism characterized by an extreme avoidance of everyday demands, even those the person might want to do. It's often driven by anxiety and a need for control; responding to a demand can trigger an anxiety response. Individuals may use a variety of strategies, such as direct refusal, procrastination, or imaginative role-playing, to avoid requests.

Using a low demand approach and remembering that having autonomy, or agency is the key for those with PDA. It’s different from just being in control or a ‘control freak’. If a PDA person is told to do something, even if they were going to do it, they then can’t do it. If they are asked, and they see a need for it, they then can do it.

The thing about children with a PDA profile is that they grow into adults with a PDA profile, it doesn’t disappear on their 18th birthday. Many people at the ages of 30, 40, 50 and beyond are discovering they are neurodivergent, they don’t catch it from anywhere, it was always there, but the recognition can be life changing. I think a lot of PDA adults find themselves in jobs where they have a lot of autonomy, or even self-employed as that is the ultimate way of getting agency.

If there’s anything you’d like me to write about in connection with PDA or other parts of neurodiversity, comment on this post or send me a message.

07/10/2025

Today's a big birthday, 50. I'm not one for taking life audits, but the last decade has been the most transformative.
I've lived through a global pandemic, which was never on anyone's bucket list, I'm sure! I've discovered why my child found school so challenging, and also found out why I've found life so challenging.

I wouldn't have found any of this out had my child not had the courage not to mask and say that everything was OK, but use their behaviour and later words to let me know what was going on for them. I am eternally grateful that they felt they could trust me enough to do that as it taught me a lot about myself too. Mainly to believe that I can do things, like study for a master's degree, that even me ten years ago would not have thought possible.

I've had to advocate for my children, making my voice heard for them, something that has never been easy for me. But it's helped me learn how to advocate for myself, too. From being told that I am too much of everything, I have discovered why and how I can use it to support others who have just found this path.

As Mums, we are often stronger for our children than we are for ourselves, and I am seeing that so often at the moment, with so many brave, courageous, and determined mums changing the world for their children and themselves.

06/10/2025

For I wanted to share some co-occuring conditions that often go alsongside ADHD that many people aren't aware of.

✨Are you often called 'too sensitive', or that 'you’re overreacting' (again?!) to a situation.

✨If someone says “Nice outfit”, it makes you squirm, or you reply with “This old thing, I got it in a sale”.

✨If someone you know doesn’t notice you on the street, you spend ages thinking about what you’ve done or said wrong to upset them.

✨You text someone, and they don’t text you back.

✨The worst thing a work colleague or boss can say to you is “Can we have a chat later?”. Your stomach tightens and you begin to go through every single conversation you’ve had with everyone since you worked there.

❓Do any (or all!) of these seem familiar to you?
Let me introduce you to Rejection Sensitivity, also known as Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria.

🙌Yay! Another Dysphoria or Disorder that goes alongside ADHD, autism and neurodiversity.

Although it’s not in the Big Book of Mental Health Conditions (also known as the DSM-5), it is something that can cause a great deal of distress to the individual experiencing it.

🤔So what is it?
It is when someone experiences a strong emotional reaction to negative judgment or criticism, or perceived judgment or criticism. Someone with RSD with perceive a neutral comment as negative and a negative comment as extremely negative. They are more hypersensitive to being rejected and it can be physically painful.

This reaction sends them into rumination, physical symptoms such as a feeling in the pit of their stomach, feelings of being a failure and often cannot continue with their day.

While there is little research and no official diagnosis for RSD, it does seem that being ADHD does raise your risk of having RSD. One possible reason is that your nervous system may be triggered differently in those with ADHD. Also, children with ADHD hear on average 20,000 more negative messages growing up than their peers.

Therapy can help you understand RSD triggers and where it appears for you. Having a therapist who understands the RSD is also very helpful. As someone who has RSD and was told by a therapist years ago that I needed to learn “How to move past this”, it led me to feelings of shame and guilt that I couldn’t overcome the challenges, which I now recognise were caused by having RSD.

💭If you recognise yourself in this, what’s the thing that activates your RSD?

02/10/2025

I found out today that it's ADHD Awareness month. I like to think I'm very on brand writing my first post about it at midnight on the 2nd day of the month 🤣.

When people mention about the ADHD epidemic, or that "everyone is jumping on the ADHD bandwagon these days" I say that if I had to choose a bandwagon I wouldn't have chosen one with higher rates of addiction, su***de and shorter lifespan. I wouldn't have chosen one where I spend most of my life annoying myself by forgetting or not reading emails or instructions.

Despite all the negative outlook, ADHD are some of the most welcoming, creative, thoughful and dynamic people I have met.

I'm not all that sure about the purpose of Awareness months. Beware, the ADHD people are out to get you this month! 😁

02/10/2025

OMG, this!! 😂

Catch me under a moss blanket avoiding both RSVP buttons.

01/10/2025

What a wonderful resource from Spectrum Gaming! This will help so many parents and children.

We’re excited to share that the Barriers to Education website has officially launched: http://barrierstoeducation.co.uk

The Barriers to Education website has been created to bring parents, carers and professionals together with practical, compassionate approaches that make a real difference.

At its heart is the WARMTH Framework, alongside a growing library of tools, strategies and case studies that show what’s possible when we focus on understanding needs and creating conditions where young people feel safe, valued and able to thrive.

The website isn’t just here for you to read, but it is here for you to use as you see fit:
💛 Share it
Feel free to share this website with anyone who may not otherwise see it

🧡Use the content
We are very happy for any of the content to be added to your own existing (or new) documents or guidance.

💙Amend the content
We are very happy for you to use but also amend any wording so that it fits your Local Area or setting, the people within it and your current work and priorities.

💜Use it as a foundation
You are welcome to use any of the content we have shared as a foundation for your own local ideas, strategies, provision and interventions in your area or setting.

💚Share with us
If you are using any part of Barriers to Education, we would love to hear from you! Our vision for this website is for it to be a community owned, shared space where best practice, ideas and successes can be disseminated. Taking the time to share your resources, input or learning in our 'WARMTH in Practice' section could offer others (across the country) the chance to make a life changing difference to the young people that they are supporting.

We want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who contributed to the creation of the Barriers to Education website. Over 1,500 people contributed including young people, parents and carers, professionals across education, health and social care, researchers and more and it would not have been possible without you.

You can explore the site and join us in shaping it through the link in the comments.