NEXT COURSE:  Day 1, 23rd January 2026/ Day 2, 30th January 2026/Day 3, 6th February 2026

Connection. Understanding. Harmony.

When one or both partners in a relationship are neurodiverse, traditional couples therapy approaches often fall short. This course equips therapists with the knowledge and tools to support neurodiverse couples with nuance, compassion, and effectiveness — helping them navigate love, communication, and conflict in ways that honour their differences.

About the Course

  • Duration: 10.5-hour CPD-accredited online training
  • Audience: Therapists, counsellors, and professionals working with neurodiverse adults in relationships
  • Focus: Building relational safety, clarity, and deeper connection in neurodiverse partnerships

Explore how to adapt your therapeutic approach to support couples where neurodiverse experiences — including autism, ADHD, and more — shape how individuals connect, communicate, and understand one another.

Key Learning Outcomes

  • Recognise Dynamics in neurodiverse relationships : Understand how neurodivergence affects communication, emotional expression, and conflict.
  • Work with Difference, Not Deficit: Learn how to validate different relational needs without pathologising them.
  • Support Both Partners: Offer tools that empower each person to feel seen, heard, and respected — without asking either to ‘mask’ or change who they are.
  • Improve Therapeutic Outcomes: Create a safer space where both partners can thrive in the relationship and in therapy.

Unique Feature: Live Panel and Authentic Case Insights

Our training includes a ‘live’ panel made up of couples in neurodiverse relationships who have experienced therapy with a counsellor cognisant in neurodiversity. They share valuable insights into how the therapy helped them to understand one another and they reflect on the therapeutic interventions which helped them to make improvements in their relationships. The panellists often talk about unique positive features of their relationships as well as some of the challenges they can encounter. Our panel are happy to take questions from the course delegates and people find this part of the course extremely helpful in developing authentic perspectives and insights into neurodiverse relationships.

The course also includes interesting case studies and therapeutic reflections that highlight the complexity and diversity of neurodiverse couple dynamics. You’ll gain a deep insight into:

  • Navigating differing emotional processing styles
  • Building bridges between a range of contrasting communication styles
  • Supporting couples through misunderstandings, rooted in the different ways partners interpret each other’s actions, language and behaviours
  • Providing a framework to help couples attune to one another, fostering greater mutual understanding and connection

These practical examples help you apply theory directly to your clinical work.

Led by Ruth Williams and Deborah Wortman, Co-Directors of Aspire Autism Consultancy, both experienced psychotherapists with a long-standing commitment to neuro-affirming practice. Their training is further enriched by contributions from neurodivergent colleagues, ensuring a well-rounded, inclusive perspective throughout.

Ideal for professionals including:

  • Couples Therapists
  • Psychotherapists and Counsellors
  • Mental Health Practitioners
  • Coaches and Relationship Educators
  • Anyone supporting neurodivergent adults in relational work

  • Case-Based Learning: Real couples, real challenges, real growth
  • Practical Tools: Strategies and guidance on language to use in sessions
  • Downloadable Resources: Handouts and frameworks for your ongoing practice

This course offers a total of 10.5 hours CPD and is currently being offered online via Zoom and is being delivered as 3 separate ‘live’ morning webinars.

Course packs are emailed out to all delegates prior to attending our training, to allow time for these materials to be printed out and used as an aid for making notes when attending the course.

Course Dates:

Day 1 – Friday, 23rd January 2026

Day 2 – Friday, 30th January 2026

Day 3 – Friday, 6th February 2026

Times:   9:30 am to 1.00 pm

Cost:     £280 for all three modules

Sign Up Here

Join our “live” interactive online training course

  • By clicking the box below you agree that £100 of your payment is non-refundable and that the total amount is non-refundable from three weeks before the course.
  • £ 0.00

If you wish to pay in instalments, please send an email to aspiretraining2015@gmail.com

A Neuro-Affirming Approach to Working with Autistic Clients

“This course offered invaluable lived experience, deepening my understanding of the challenges faced by people with Autism.

The delivery was well-paced, and Mark’s insights—along with the panel discussion—were especially helpful and brought real-life depth to the training.

Aspire’s Autism courses are the best online courses I’ve attended.”

Psychotherapist

A Neuro-Affirming Approach to Working with Autistic Clients

“The trainers’ knowledge and personal experiences were conveyed in an easy to understand manner.  In my opinion this was invaluable training for me, both professionally as a lecturer and personally as a parent of a child who has a neurological disorder”

Lecturer and Parent

A Neuro-Affirming Approach to Working with Autistic Clients

“Thank you Ruth and Deborah. Great course! Please keep me abreast of training and you webinars. This has really helped me.”

Delegate

A Neuro-Affirming Approach to Working with Autistic Clients

“Thank you the course has been so helpful, affirmed a lot of what I am doing, but also lots to think about. Also a wonderful group.”

Delegate

A Neuro-Affirming Approach to Working with Autistic Clients

“I have worked in FE for 13 years and can honestly say this was the most interesting, informative and enjoyable CPD session I have ever done!”

Lecturer and Parent

ADHD in The Therapy Room – A Neuro-Affirming Approach

“Having a panel of neurodivergent people was genius and an absolute privilege.”

Delegate

ADHD in The Therapy Room – A Neuro-Affirming Approach

“Very pleased that I booked on this course as it is a topic which was not covered when I trained to be a counsellor.”

Counsellor

ADHD in The Therapy Room – A Neuro-Affirming Approach

“… so many things I hadn’t been aware of which will undoubtedly inform my practice and help me to support clients who display ADHD traits. “

Relational Counsellor

ADHD in The Therapy Room – A Neuro-Affirming Approach

“Thank you, Ruth and Deborah for sharing all you know and have experienced, not just as therapists but as parents too”

Psychotherapist

ADHD in The Therapy Room – A Neuro-Affirming Approach

“Your deep understanding of ADHD was excellent and the fact that you brought many real-life examples from your work, enhanced my learning process. Your ability to provide inclusive enough training for therapists using different approaches was greatly appreciated. The case studies used were particularly helpful in illustrating the concepts discussed. I valued learning from experts with lived experience that has helped me to develop my empathy when working with neurodivergent clients.”

Dagmara Levene, Integrative Therapist

ADHD in The Therapy Room – A Neuro-Affirming Approach

“Ruth and Deborah are both exceptional and highly knowledgeable trainers. The ADHD training was remarkably comprehensive, meaningful, and perfectly tailored to the needs of student support services in higher education. The sessions were well-structured, offering a seamless transition between theory, experiential work, reflection, and the lived experiences of the panel. I wholeheartedly recommend this training.”

Chris Haylock, Head of Counselling Services, Cambridge University

Working With Neurodivergent Couples and Relationships: A Neuro-Affirming Approach

“As a neurodivergent counsellor with a neurodivergent partner, I found the course both personally and professionally valuable.

It was accessible, well-paced, and thoughtfully delivered by Ruth and Deborah, with a strong focus on not ‘othering’ either partner—reinforced by the Q&A panel.

The mix of small group discussions and wider sharing was enriching. I left feeling inspired and highly recommend this course. Thank you!”

Debbie Challinor, Counsellor & Psychotherapist