Suzy Carden

I offer morning, afternoon and evening sessions monday to friday.

I am a neurodivergent counsellor and psychotherapist, specialising in helping ASD and ADHD young people, adults, families and couples towards secure relationships, to learn to live more comfortably with themselves and others and to develop emotional regulation and resilience. I support those who suspect they might be neurodivergent, who wish to assessed, who need to assessed. I also help people to come to terms with a diagnosis, to integrate this new knowledge into their lives and identities, to develop sound knowledge and ways of managing their lives. 

Through my work in relational and attachment trauma healing and recovery I have become neuro informed and better able to understand the sensory profiles and personal challenges of those with ADHD and ASD, giftedness, twice and multiple exceptionality & sensory issues. Neuro diversity can so often be co-occurring with relational trauma and knowing why can be particularly facilitating for therapeutic outcomes. 

I have a particular interest in working relationally with neuro diverse and sensitive clients because of my own lived experience.  Why some of us are more susceptible to relational trauma underpins the continual development of my work, but the science ( the neuro biology ) is always woven with acceptance, warmth and compassion.

We are all different; our genetics and everything that has ever happened to us creates a uniqueness. This is why I work Integratively, drawing from different techniques from different therapeutic modalities to respond to the affective, behavioural, cognitive and psychological aspects of you and your process. 

Working with feelings, thoughts and behaviours, observing the body as well as the mind, we find that we ourselves become integrated; we become a fuller and more authentic version of ourselves. 

Here are some of things that we can work on developing in therapy:

A self soothing, kind, encouraging and supportive inner voice.

Developing self advocacy.

Improving communication with others. 

Self awareness and respect.

Awareness of patterns of behaviour that no longer serve. 

A feeling of safety, security.

Healthy boundaries.

Connection with ourselves and with others.

Compassion for shamed and hidden parts of ourselves.

Purpose and meaning, pleasure and joy.

An awareness and knowledge of sensation, an acceptance and modulation of our emotions and ability to use them as our guide for well being. 

Improved anxiety reduction.

A feeling of empowerment.

To understand your stress and to build a bespoke prescription of self care, to know what you need to take care of yourself.

Knowledge of helpful research and psychological education.

Practical strategies.

I also work collaboratively with specialist occupational therapists and coaches, all experienced in Autism and ADHD, offering therapeutic services which enhance all of the above.

During your first session I will appreciate that you may never have been to therapy before and seek to reassure you that this is a kind and careful process, delivered with respect and sensitivity. What we know about good therapy is that it's what happens between us, within this safe space, that affects change. Having met for the first time I believe that you will know whether I am the right therapist for you and whether you are ready to engage with the process. 

You will not be expected to relive upsetting aspects of your past, this kind of work is paced and we resource, we equip and stabilise as we go and if uncomfortable feelings emerge we hold them whilst we build tolerance and resilience.  A part of the work is to develop your own advocating voice; I might slow you down to keep you within your window, but I will never ask you to operate beyond it. 

You may be seeking help to make sense of the present or the past, to better understand yourself, to better manage your emotions, your mood or stress. Perhaps you are struggling with your friendships, partner, family or relationships at work. You might suspect that you are neuro divergent and want to explore how life is for you and why, to work through pre-diagnosis screening, create a sensory profile or to come to terms with a diagnosis and the process itself. 

Whatever has brought you to therapy, it's helpful to establish what it is that you seek. It is also important for me to know the wider picture, which is why it will include questions about some aspects of your medical history, any symptoms that you are experiencing, if you've had therapy before and how you found the experience, for example. 

We will also talk about any safeguarding issues and establish the nature of our confidentiality. I will ask you to ensure that you are in a safe and confidential space before we begin.