Welcome to Youology
Neuroaffirming, trauma‑informed counselling and psychotherapy in Perth for neurodivergent adults, teens, parents and bright, sensitive “too‑much” people.
Who Youology Is For
Youology is for people whose inner world feels like “a lot,” and who are tired of being told they’re too sensitive, too intense, or not trying hard enough.
I work with:
Neurodivergent adults – Autistic, ADHD, AuDHD, 2e, PDA‑ish, Gifted, HSP or otherwise “not quite neurotypical,” with or without a formal diagnosis.
Neurodivergent teens (12–18) – Young people navigating school, identity, friendships, overwhelm and burnout in systems that often don’t understand them.
Parents of intense or neurodivergent kids – Especially those doing “all the things” (OT, school meetings, advocacy) while their own nervous system is running on empty.
Partners of neurodivergent people – who want to understand each other better and find ways of relating that honour both nervous systems.
Bright, creative, thoughtful “too‑much” people – Often women or AFAB folks whose big feelings, deep thinking and sensitivity have been pathologised or misunderstood (sometimes neurodivergent, sometimes not).
You don’t need a diagnosis to belong here. If you suspect you might be neurodivergent, or you just know that “standard” advice has never quite fit, you’re welcome. You don’t have to be sure where you fit before reaching out – curiosity is enough. Neuroaffirming, trauma‑informed therapy can support all kinds of brains, including neurotypical ones, because we begin by meeting you where you are and working at a pace that fits you.
Find out more about what neuroaffirming therapy looks like (and how it might support you or your family) here.
What “trauma‑informed” means here
When I say trauma‑informed, I mean we assume that past and present experiences live in the nervous system, not just in thoughts or memories. We move gently, at your pace, with an emphasis on emotional safety, clear consent and real choice – I won’t push you (or your child) into stories, memories or strategies your system isn’t ready for.
Trauma‑informed and neuroaffirming therapy fit together here: instead of asking “What’s wrong with you?”, we ask “What happened to you, what has it asked your nervous system to carry, and what needs to change – inside and around you – so life can hurt less and fit better?”
How Therapy at Youology Feels
Many people who come to Youology have tried therapy before and left feeling misunderstood, blamed, or subtly asked to “try harder” at being someone they’re not.
In sessions with me, you can expect:
Collaboration. We set goals together; you can say no; “I don’t know yet” is a valid answer. I draw from schema work, parts‑based approaches, ACT, art therapy and other creative processes, but I don’t use a one‑size‑fits‑all approach – we’ll shape the work around your goals, your pace, your access needs and your preferences, so the process fits you rather than the other way around.
You get to show up how you are. You don’t have to make eye contact, sit still, or have neat, linear stories prepared. You can stim, fidget, bring a drink, or sit on the floor if that’s better for your body.
We respect your bandwidth. We can slow things down, bring in writing or visuals, or take regulation breaks when your nervous system needs it.
Masking is optional, not expected. If you want to unmask gradually, we’ll go gently. If masking still feels protective in parts of your life, we’ll respect that too.
Your lived experience matters. I bring clinical training and lived experience with neurodivergence and advocacy into the room, but you remain the expert on your own life.
No “normalising” agenda. The aim isn’t to hide who you (or your child, young person or partner) are. We focus on reducing the load, increasing choice, and finding environments and supports that fit better.
We hold complexity. You get to have mixed feelings about diagnosis, family, work, parenting, or being “that kid” at school. We don’t rush to silver‑linings or to toxic positivity and comforting platitudes that skip over real hurt.
Therapy is a collaborative space, not a performance review.
What We Can Work On Together
People come to Youology for many reasons, often overlapping:
Burnout, shutdown and “I can’t keep this up” – especially neurodivergent burnout after years of masking, people‑pleasing, or holding everyone else together.
Late‑identified / maybe‑neurodivergent identity work – making sense of your history through a neurodivergent lens, unpacking internalised ableism and shame.
Parenting intense / neurodivergent kids – supporting your nervous system, finding ways of parenting that work with your child’s wiring and your capacity, and navigating schools/services.
Teen overwhelm and big feelings – anxiety, shutdown, masking at school, social exhaustion, self‑understanding and expression (without forcing conformity).
Relationships, communication and repair – especially when partners or family members have different neurotypes and feel like they’re “speaking different languages.”
Trauma and complex trauma – including medical trauma, school trauma, bullying, systemic harm and chronic invalidation of your needs or identity.
We can focus on one area, or gently weave them together over time as feels manageable.