We help neurodiverse partners release judgment about who is right or wrong and acknowledge their different levels of understanding, enabling each to accept their differences. Our work validates both partners’ perspectives. Many who come to us have never received an autism diagnosis and have been inaccurately labeled. We foster greater mutual understanding by translating diverse realities.
“Neurodiversity encompasses ADHD, dyslexia, and even exceptional IQ or abilities. As a psychologist, working with neurodiverse couples is rewarding yet challenging. Understanding their unique perspectives requires my avoiding assumptions and ensuring both partners genuinely understand each other.”
Kathy A. McMahon Psychologist, Sex Therapist, President, Couples Therapy Inc., AANE Certified Neurodiverse Couples Therapist
Looking for more on how we work with Neurodiverse couples?
Regardless of whether both partners are on the spectrum, recognizing neurological variances is the starting point. Next, teaching cornerstone skills for healthy relationships is crucial. This work nurtures empathy, compassion, and creates a stronger foundation for success.
We tailor these intensive couples therapy retreats for neurodiverse couples facing various challenges, from infidelity to chronic conflict and emotional distance.
You struggle with how much time to spend together and how that time should be spent.
There is little understanding of how sensory issues or dysregulation leads to imbalanced workloads.
Communication is either terse or overly lengthy. Couples can learn concrete tools to bridge these differences.
Absolutely. A neurodiverse couple can learn to recognize neurological differences and willingly accommodate each other.
For instance, one partner may accept the other’s need for socializing with family during the holidays, while the other requires solitude and a reliable time frame for arriving and leaving.
We hold in-person couples relationship therapy in 33 locations across the USA, including Puerto Rico. We hold online retreats in 45 US states, Alaska, and international locations, Canada, Great Britain, Northern Mariana Islands, and Singapore.
Understanding neurodiverse relationships involves recognizing and respecting neurological differences, nurturing empathy, and enhancing communication for mutual understanding and support.
Bridge Different Communication Styles
Concrete tools designed by experts for neurodiverse relationships help teach how to both curb too much information flow and promote more when there is too little.
Learn When to Stop Masking
Mask and deflecting is demanded of autistic people in order to live and work within an otherwise neurotypical world. However, masking is mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting. Learn when to remove the mask.
Improve Intimate Relating
Rules for romance are confusing to neurodivergent people. They may be told: “Eating in bed isn’t sexy,” and then in the next breathe told that booking an overpriced hotel room where champagne and chocolate covered strawberries are eaten in bed is very romantic.
Stop Meltdowns
Adult autistic meltdowns involve overwhelming sensory or emotional experiences, leading to loss of control, heightened stress, and emotional release. A couple can learn to prevent these unpleasant reactions or know what to do when they happen.
This is the best most professional therapist I have ever encountered.
I am not certain where we would be without her help. Although my heart is still aching and I feel overwhelmed with the amount of work that needs to be done I am grateful to understand how being a neuro-diverse couple has impacted our lives.
Recent client reports
Finding out that my husband is neuro-atypical has change almost everything.
There is hope for healing, compassion and understanding on both our parts. Finding out that my husband is neuro-atypical has changed almost everything. Although I am feeling overwhelmed, the last 36 years make much more sense.
Recent client reports
What were the core issues you wanted to improve? Sexuality and connectedness.
Our preliminary interview with the therapist made us feel welcome and able to talk to her on a logical level. It went extremely well. I have been able to move forward in my own thought process while repairing issues and conflict with my husband in a fair way. It was great. Very relaxed and at the same time intense
Recent client reports
Much happier.
I learned more about my husband in those 2.5 days than I had in our 11 years together. He is much happier and wants to work on our relationship. It seems like after couple’s therapy my husband has become a completely different person.
Recent client reports
I believed you were our best chance
The intensive therapy and questionnaire cut through months of weekly therapy before getting to the heart of issues. This work opened up communication with my spouse, provided tools to improve connecting with my spouse, and showed me that my spouse cares.
This is the best most professional therapist I have ever encountered.
I am not certain where we would be without her help. Although my heart is still aching and I feel overwhelmed with the amount of work that needs to be done I am grateful to understand how being a neuro-diverse couple has impacted our lives.
Recent client reports
Finding out that my husband is neuro-atypical has change almost everything.
There is hope for healing, compassion and understanding on both our parts. Finding out that my husband is neuro-atypical has changed almost everything. Although I am feeling overwhelmed, the last 36 years make much more sense.
Recent client reports
What were the core issues you wanted to improve? Sexuality and connectedness.
Our preliminary interview with the therapist made us feel welcome and able to talk to her on a logical level. It went extremely well. I have been able to move forward in my own thought process while repairing issues and conflict with my husband in a fair way. It was great. Very relaxed and at the same time intense
Recent client reports
Much happier.
I learned more about my husband in those 2.5 days than I had in our 11 years together. He is much happier and wants to work on our relationship. It seems like after couple’s therapy my husband has become a completely different person.
Recent client reports
I believed you were our best chance
The intensive therapy and questionnaire cut through months of weekly therapy before getting to the heart of issues. This work opened up communication with my spouse, provided tools to improve connecting with my spouse, and showed me that my spouse cares.
Are you looking for a therapist who truly understands the unique challenges faced by neurodiverse couples? Look no further than AANE.org certified therapists. These professionals have completed extensive training through the Neurodiverse Couples Institute, equipping them with the specialized knowledge and skills needed to effectively support and guide couples where one or both partners are on the autism spectrum.
By working with an AANE.org certified therapist, neurodiverse couples can benefit from:
Their expertise in recognizing and understanding autism’s impact on relationships
Tailored treatment approaches that accommodate and address neurodiverse couples’ specific needs
Skill-building and creative problem-solving techniques to improve communication and enhance emotional connection
A therapist who has gained insights directly from the experiences of neurodiverse couples and other professionals in the field
Access to a dedicated network of therapists supporting the neurodiverse community
AANE’s comprehensive training program, based on surveys of over 780 partners in neurodiverse relationships, ensures that certified therapists are well-prepared to provide the specialized support that 93% of respondents deemed important or very important.
Take the first step towards strengthening your neurodiverse relationship by seeking the guidance of a knowledgeable, understanding, and dedicated AANE.org certified couples therapist.
I feel passionate about couples therapy and sex therapy and hold a deep respect for those who invest in making their relationship better. I have an active interactional style that is no-nonsense but sweetened with humor and empathetic engagement. I care deeply about my couples.
Certified Gottman Therapist, Training in Emotionally Focused Therapy Advanced, Sex Therapist, The Couples Institute – The Developmental Model, AANE Certified Neurodiverse Couples Therapists, Certified in Discernment Counseling, Dan Wile Collaborative Couple Therapy Training
I have found several strategies that help both partners work through the intensity and energy that one or both of them have. I don’t villainize or pathologize those who become activated in sessions. I help them to feel understood.
Advanced Training in the Gottman Method, Advanced Training in Emotionally Focused Therapy, Hold me Tight Workshop Leader, Certified Discernment Counselor, AANE Certifications, The Developmental Model
In my practice, I have worked with couples to overcome long-standing resentments, rebuild their fondness and affection for one another, and find new meaning and purpose within their relationship. Witnessing these relationship transformations leaves me amazed, moved, and deeply inspired.
Certified Gottman Therapist, Certified Discernment Counselor, AANE Certified Neurodiverse Couples Therapists, Gottman Seven Principles Leader,Training in Emotionally Focused Therapy level 1, Treating Trauma and Affairs – Gottman Institute
I view our work as an interesting, energizing process that helps you to understand yourself and your partner better, to have a healthier relationship(s), to enhance your ability to cope with stress, and ultimately to become a happier person.
Advanced Training in the Gottman Method, Advanced Training in Emotionally Focused Therapy, Certified Discernment Counselor, Certified Training in Couples Therapy and Psychoanalysis, AANE Certified Neurodiverse Couples Therapists, Advanced intensive DBT Training
My goal is to help my couples have better conversations about the problems they face. I offer a space for couples to understand each other, and take the time to really look at and talk to each other.
Certified Gottman Therapist, Certified Discernment Counselor, AANE Certified Neurodiverse Couples Therapist, PACT Level 2, Developmental Model Couples Training
I use evidence-based therapeutic approaches combined with my own emphasis on engaging clients to be their most authentic, healthy, and goal-achieving selves. I want you to live into your values, and I offer a safe space for you to be vulnerable, open, and know your innate worthiness.
Advanced Gottman Method Couples Therapy; Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, Level 1; AANE Certified Neurodiverse Couples Therapist; Gottman Leader Training –7 Principles for Making Marriage Work; Gottman Institute Bringing Baby Home Educator, Listed in the Discernment directory as a provider
My background helps me meet couples “where they are” and to deeply understand their complexities. Depending on their needs and goals, I strive to help partners enhance, improve, or repair their relationships.
Certified Gottman Therapist, Master Trainer for the Seattle-based Gottman Institute, Psychoanalytically-informed psychotherapistFundamentals of Working With Neurodiverse Couples in Therapy (AANE), Listed in the Discernment directory as a provider
