Neurodivergent Therapy

Neurodivergent Therapy

I provide people with autism, ADHD and learning disabilities with mental health support for:

  • Behavioural Problems and Risk

  • Anxiety

  • Bereavement

  • Life Transitions

  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

  • Anger

  • Relationship Issues

  • Self-Harm

  • Burnout

  • Meltdowns

  • Relationship problems

  • Abuse

  • Feeling Low / Not wanting to live anymore

  • Trauma and Post Traumatidc Stress Disorder (PTSD)

  • Low Self-esteem

  • Coping with difficult feelings

  • Mental Capacity

  • Dementia Screening and support

  • Understanding support needs

Types of therapy that I offer

  • Autism and ADHD post diagnostic support

    Autism and ADHD post diagnostic support

    Work on self-acceptance, avoiding burn out and making your lifestyle a good fit to match your strengths and challenges.

  • Interpersonal Therapy

    Interpersonal Therapy

    Interpersonal Therapy helps you to understand relationship patterns more clearly and get on better in relationships with others.

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

    Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

    CBT helps us to change how we feel, think and what we do for the better. It can help us understand why we are stuck in a vicious circle.

  • Mentalization Based Therapy Approach MBT

    Mentalization Based Therapy Approach MBT

    This approach helps you to Feel and Think more clearly and see the options rather than to rush to a quick fix.

  • Trauma and Attachment Focussed Apprach

    Trauma and Attachment Focussed Apprach

    This approach helps people to feels safer, more stable and feel less upset about the trauma they have been through.

  • Compassion Focussed Approach

    Compassion Focussed Approach

    This approach helps being kind and positive towards yourself. It also helps to take better care of yourself.

  • Teaching Relaxation and self-soothing Skills

    Teaching Relaxation and self-soothing Skills

    These skills help you by gives you things to do that help you relax. This can include breathing, muscle relaxation and using your senses

  • The Flash Technique

    The Flash Technique

    The technique helps you make bad memories less upsetting.

  • Psycho-education

    Psycho-education

    The approach gives you information and understanding, for example, about autism, ADHD, sexual sexual relationships, life tran sitions so that you can cope and understand better.

  • Bio-feedback

    Bio-feedback

    This technique helps to see on a screen how tense or relaxed your body is. It measures and teaches you how to calm down better and more quickly. It does not hurt.

  • Low Arousal Sensory awareness Approach

    Low Arousal Sensory awareness Approach

    This means we will work together in a calm and structured way and include any sensory needs you may have.

What to expect at Neurodivergent Therapy

What to expect at Neurodivergent Therapy

Step 1: Before the appointment

  • Meet for a free consultation to see if what I offer is a good fit for you (30 minutes).

Step 2: First Appointments

  • Meet to discuss how we best work together to fit with your individual needs and style. This may include sitting where you chose, using movement or fidgets and having a clear structure to the session / knowing what to expec.

  • Meet to discuss your difficulties and goals and develop a visual diagram of the situation. Start building a therapeutic relationship. (2 to 5 hours).

  • I offer a written summary after each session if this is helpful to the person.

Step 3: Following appointments

  • Work on further understanding and testing new solutions.

  • I offer practical tasks and handouts to help make progress if this is helpful to the person (4 to 25+)

Step 4: Agree and work towards an ending when ready

  • Further embed and generalise skills learnt

  • Prepare, anticipate and plan for difficult times

  • I offer a visual and written summary of the work completed if this is helpful to the person.

Dr Silke Newman Consultant Clinical Psychologist

Hi, I’m Dr Silke Newman

I am Silke, a Clinical Psychologist based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire with over 20 years of experience specialising in autism and learning disabilities.

Having earned my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Leeds University in 2003, I’m registered with the HCPC and BPS, and trained in DISCO and ADHD assessments. I combine science-backed approaches with a deep respect for individual expertise, taking time to listen and adapt to your unique needs. I offer in-clinic, online, and home visit services, ensuring flexible and personalised care.

Choose how you like to receive therapy

Face to face

I can meet you face to face in my clinic in Barnsley.

Online

I can meet you via MS Teams or Zoom online.

Home visits

I can do home visits within the wider Barnsley area.

Email

Some people prefer some contact via email. I can adapt to your needs.

Telephone

It can be helpful to have catch ups over the telephone in-between sessions.

For in-person neurodivergent therapy, visit my clinic in Barnsley

My clinic address

Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre
Innovation Way
Wilthorpe
Barnsley
S75 1JL

 

Neurodivergent Therapy Price

£120 per session lasting 50 minutes with 10 minutes spending time together summarizing, planning and making safety arrangements as needed.

Funding via Health Insurance

You can access therapy, coaching and assessment via your health insurance if you have bought a plan. I accept Bupa Health insurance plans. I am one of the Bupa recognized providers.

I will send all my invoices directly to your health insurance company. You need to confirm that they have agreed your treatment and send me your membership number and authorization code.

Paying Privately

You can pay for sessions privately via a bank transfer.

 FAQs about Neurodivergent Therapy

  • Therapy and coaching help to understand how ADHD and/or autism affects you. It will not cure ADHD or autism but help you manage and adapt to the condition so that you can be well.

  • It is therapy that makes adaptations to what the person with ADHD, autism or learning disability needs. It also looks at the person and their strengths. 

  • There are many ways in which therapy can be flexible and adapted to neurodiverse needs. It does not look at disabilities as a deficit or disorder but as a natural variation in human neurology

    • It acknowledges both the challenges and potential strengths associated with neurodiversity

    • Therapy focuses on working with, rather than against, an individual's natural cognitive style

    • Emphasises environmental and societal adaptations rather than solely focusing on changing the individual

    • Promotes self-acceptance and positive identity while still addressing difficulties

    • Supports development of personalised coping strategies that work with the individual's natural tendencies

    • Aims to reduce stigma and negative self-perception often associated with ADHD

    • Encourages optimisation of environments to better suit neurodivergent needs

    • Values the unique perspectives and creative problem-solving abilities that can come with neurodiversity

    • Promotes understanding of executive function differences without pathologizing the. 

    This approach emphasising acceptance and accommodation rather than purely focusing on symptom reduction

  • Yes. During your free consultation you can check if it is a good fit for you and decline the offer. Once therapy has started you can end therapy any time. It does help if you tell your psychologist so that they can plan the ending with you and have a positive ending.

  • The most effective way is using principles of CBT. Please see the infographic about Strategies to reduce Procrastination.

  • Therapy can focus on finding out about what keeps you well and understand the triggers that cause you to become unwell and go into crisis. This empowers you to adapt your life and better meet your needs to avoid burnout and also recover.

  • Relationship patterns are often formed when growing up. Being neurodiverse can affect a person's experience for themselves and others through the relationships they have. Understanding how you react and why can help you become more aware and make changes by practising new ways of being in relationships.

  • Therapy can help you to feel better by understanding how negative thoughts, feelings and behaviours occur and how they get into a vicious cycle. Therapy will help to practice new ways of thinking, doing and feeling.

  • Therapy creates time to reflect on and understand your life story and what makes you well. It can help you make changes in your life and give you a new direction.

  • You may get ill and can’t come. It is important that you let me know as soon as possible so that I can rearrange our appointment. If you have health insurance, the usually don’t pay for missed appointments or late cancellations.

  • It is important that you pay in advance so that your session can take place as planned.

    If you have health insurance I will all my invoices to them. They will pay for the treatment.

Book a therapy session