Therapy with Cara
THERAPY WITH ME IN 3 SENTENCES:
No BLANK SLATE therapist. No COOKIE-CUTTER approaches. I'm real with you, so you can be REAL too.
How I Work…
I'm gonna be honest...I'm not interested in being the distant, neutral therapist sitting across from you taking notes. That's not helpful, and frankly, it's not me.
My approach? I create a space where you can actually drop the mask. Where you can turn your camera off mid-session if you need to, show up in your PJs surrounded by your soft toys, or tell me halfway through that you've hit capacity - and it's genuinely no big deal. I've had clients share things with me they've never told another soul, and been stunned when I don't blink. This isn't about being your friend (ethically, I can't be - even though it often feels that way, and my clients and I joke about how in another life, we'd probably be great friends) - but it is about creating the kind of ease where you look forward to sessions instead of dreading them. Where you don't have to perform or explain or justify. Where you can just... be.
Depending on where you're at, and what you need, our work together might focus on things like:
Exploring whether autism and/or ADHD might indeed be a part of your story, if you're curious and suspecting (and supporting you through formal assessment if that's where it leads)
Making sense of your experiences (past and present) through an autism/ADHD/AuDHD lens
Working through the grief and identity shifts that come with late diagnosis
Understanding the difference between strategic masking (when you choose to) and unconscious masking (when it's habitual, like you don't know how to NOT mask)
Figuring out what unmasking actually means for you (spoiler: it's not all-or-nothing), how to safely unmask, and who you are underneath it all - after a lifetime of pretending and people pleasing
Managing autistic burnout and preventing future crashes
Challenging the narratives you've internalized about being "broken" or "too much"
Building a life that actually works for your brain, not against it
And you know what? Like a number of my clients, you might just want to have someone in your corner who gets you – to help you navigate decisions, talk through challenges, and remind you that you DO actually make sense.
I draw on various therapeutic approaches (Schema Therapy, Compassion-Focussed Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, and Polyvagal Theory) but honestly? The framework matters less than the relationship. I tailor everything to your specific needs and experiences. No cookie-cutter approaches here.
Who I work WITH
You might be a good fit for working with me if:
You've been diagnosed as autistic, ADHD, or AuDHD as an adult
You're wondering if autism and/or ADHD might explain your experiences and want help figuring that out
You've been diagnosed and now have no idea what that means for you, what to do next or how to move forward
You're exhausted from masking and don't know how to (safely) stop
You're trying to figure out who you are without the mask
You're dealing with autistic burnout (or think you might be)
You're grieving the life you "should have had" if you'd known sooner
You don't know what you need to reduce stress, improve your relationships, or actually start feeling good - and you're ready to figure it out
You're a parent (likely to neurodivergent kiddos) and struggling to meet everyone's needs including your own
You're looking for someone who understands what autism, ADHD, and AuDHD actually look like in women's lives - the messy, contradictory reality, not just theory
WHAT HAPPENS Next
I run my practice entirely via telehealth, which means I work with clients both in Australia (where I am based) AND internationally across Europe, the United Kingdom, and other countries worldwide (excluding the USA and Canada due to insurance restrictions).
If you're ready for therapy: Reach out via email and we can go from there. I want you to feel confident that I'm the right therapist for you, so I'm happy to answer any questions or arrange a consultation call if that would be helpful.
If you're not quite ready (or I don't have availability at the moment, or you're based somewhere I can't practice):Sign up for my email list. I share resources, insights, and tools specifically for late-diagnosed autistic, ADHD and AuDHD women. I'm also developing mini courses that you can access regardless of where you're located or whether you're working with me in therapy.
Not sure where to start? That's okay. Sign up for my free email series where I walk you through the most common questions and experiences of late-diagnosed women. It's a gentle, validating introduction to understanding yourself through an autism/ADHD lens – and a good way to get to know me and see if we'd be a good fit.
The world wasn't built for your brain. But that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with your brain. Let's figure out what actually works for you.