Webinar: PDA Adults and Counselling

PDA Adults and Counselling
Webinar Recording with Beth Silcox and Rebecca Homewood

Finding the right counsellor can make all the difference – but how do you know who is truly right for you?

For many PDA adults, seeking counselling can feel overwhelming. Traditional therapeutic approaches may unintentionally increase anxiety, rely on compliance-based methods, or fail to recognise the unique ways that PDA shapes communication, autonomy and emotional wellbeing.

In this insightful webinar, counsellors Beth Silcox and Rebecca Homewood explore what truly neuro-affirming counselling looks like for PDA adults. Drawing on their extensive professional experience supporting neurodivergent clients, they explain how therapy can be adapted to respect autonomy, reduce demands and create a genuinely safe therapeutic relationship.

Whether you’re considering counselling yourself, supporting someone else to access therapy, or you’re a professional wanting to better understand neuro-affirming practice, this webinar provides practical guidance to help you navigate the counselling journey with confidence.

In this Webinar, you will explore:

• The different types of counselling and therapeutic approaches available
• Which counselling styles may work well for PDA adults—and which may require careful adaptation
• What neuro-affirming counselling really means in practice
• Why autonomy, flexibility and collaboration are essential for effective therapy
• How demand-sensitive communication can transform the therapeutic relationship
• What to look for when choosing a counsellor
• The key questions to ask before starting therapy
• Common red flags that may indicate a therapist isn’t the right fit
• How to recognise genuine neuro-affirming practice beyond surface-level understanding
• Practical advice for finding a counsellor who understands PDA

Counselling should be a space where you feel understood, respected and able to explore your experiences without fear of judgement or pressure to conform. This webinar explains why finding the right therapist matters just as much as choosing the right type of therapy.

Through practical examples and thoughtful discussion, Beth and Rebecca highlight how traditional approaches can sometimes unintentionally create barriers for PDA adults—and how a neuro-affirming approach can help build trust, safety and meaningful therapeutic relationships.

This Webinar is ideal for:

• PDA adults considering counselling or therapy
• Parents, partners and family members supporting a PDA adult
• Counsellors, therapists and mental health professionals
• Autism and neurodiversity practitioners
• Anyone wanting to understand what effective, neuro-affirming counselling for PDA should look like

Guest links:

LilyOaks Psychological and Counselling Practice: https://www.lilyoakspractice.co.uk/

Further sources of support & information

PDA Society podcasts:
https://training.pdasociety.org.uk/pda-podcasts/

PDA Society Training:
https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/support-and-training/training/

PDA Society Support Service: https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/support-and-training/support/

You can also find our Facebook support groups here