Why we formed Aspire Autism Consultancy
In 2014, a mutual friend & colleague suggested we get together to discuss our frustrations with trying to access suitable help for our family members. We experienced great challenges in finding suitably qualified people who could offer the type of help we required. At this time there was little, if any, specialised training routinely provided to healthcare professionals who were in regular contact with Autistic and ADHD people.
As qualified experienced psychotherapists we were seeing an increase of neurodivergent clients in our practices. Taking this as our inspiration we set up Aspire Autism Consultancy 10 years ago to provide training and support within Autism and ADHD, catering specifically for Counsellors, Psychologists, Coaching Professionals as well as the wider Healthcare sector, Educationalists, Human Resources personnel and the Charitable organisations.
For the past 10 years, our live, online, interactive training courses, have allowed participants from all over the world to engage in dynamic, real-time learning. To ensure accessibility and effectiveness, we have structured our online training into manageable half-day sessions, successfully adapted for online delivery.
A Collaborative & Confidential Learning Experience
All our courses are interactive and developed in collaboration with neurodivergent colleagues – some of whom co-train alongside us. We prioritise confidentiality, choosing not to record sessions to create a safe, comfortable environment where participants can freely ask questions, share insights, and fully engage with the topics discussed.
For detailed information on available courses, please visit the Training section of our website.
Supporting Workplace Inclusion
We offer in-house training to private and public sector organisations, seeking to deepen their understanding of neurodiversity. Our programmes help businesses to recognise the many strengths that neurodivergent employees bring to their organisations. By fostering constructive discussions, our courses empower managers and colleagues to create more inclusive work environments, by gaining understanding of their neurodivergent workforce and considering the types of adjustments which can be offered to enable their employees to thrive.
Meet Ruth Williams, Co-Director
Ruth Williams is a psychotherapist and co-director of Aspire Autism Consultancy, based in North Leeds. With extensive experience supporting neurodivergent individuals and families, she offers short-term individual and couples counselling, clinical supervision, and pre- and post-diagnostic consultations for autism and ADHD. Her integrative, relational approach is informed by both professional training and personal experience within a neurodiverse family. Ruth is particularly attuned to the unique presentations of neurodivergence in women and girls, helping clients understand and manage challenges like emotional dysregulation and executive functioning difficulties. She also co-leads interactive training courses for professionals seeking to better support neurodivergent clients.
Meet Deborah Wortman, Co-Director
Deborah Wortman is a seasoned psychotherapist and co-founder of Aspire Autism Consultancy. With over 20 years of experience, she specialises in supporting neurodivergent individuals, couples, and families. Her practice, grounded in Transactional Analysis, emphasises respect and validation of individual experiences. As a parent and partner in a neurodivergent family, she brings personal insight to her work. Deborah offers services including individual and couples counselling, clinical supervision, and pre- and post-diagnostic consultations for autism and ADHD. She also provides training for professionals working with neurodivergent clients, advocating for neuro-affirming approaches in therapy. Her work is accessible online, reaching clients across the UK and beyond.
Meet Mark Berry, Trainer
Mark Berry has been training and collaborating on all Aspire’s courses for the past 10 years and his area of specialism is Autism.
Mark received his Autism diagnosis in 2006 at the age of 42. His ADHD diagnosis was received much later in 2023, when he was 58. Mark brings a wealth of knowledge in respect of the “lived experience” of a late-diagnosed person and he is passionate about helping others to understand neurodiversity, in particular sharing his knowledge and experience with health professionals. Mark strongly believes that the professionals who support neurodivergent people, must undergo in-depth training to gain a full appreciation of the authentic ‘lived experience’, if they are going to provide quality care and have the level of knowledge to adequately support their neurodivergent clients or service-users.
For the past decade, Aspire’s course delegates have demonstrated a great appreciation of Mark’s insights and his understanding behind what has led to the challenges he has faced as a neurodivergent person.
Mark works in IT as a manager. He has been married for over 30 years and has 2 adult neurodivergent children. In his spare time, he enjoys going to music gigs, and working on his classic car.
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