Autistic Affirmative Consultation Group
with Melissa Dellens, MA, LMFT
Ongoing case consultation group for process-oriented therapists working with Autistic clients.
- Wednesdays 1:00pm-2:30pm Pacific on Zoom
- Fee: $275 monthly (regardless of the number of Wednesdays in the month)
- Discounted to $250 monthly for Affirmative Couch Members
- Limited to 5 Clinicians
- Minimum Commitment of 3 months
- New participants beginning in January 2024 (dependent on group registration)
This weekly process group will support clinicians interested in working with Autistic adults. Exploration of frame issues, clinical boundaries, and expansive forms of communication will support clinicians to deepen their work with clients. This group will pay special attention to conscious and unconscious dynamics of trust, safety, and care. Minority stressors such as gender, sexuality, race, and socio-economic status along with relational stressors related to differing neurotypes between client and clinician will be considered through a neurodiverse- affirmative perspective. Focus on how these concepts play out in transference and countertransference between client and clinician may inform new ways Autistic clients can seek help, create dynamic support systems, and express themselves fully in relationships with others.
My clinical work from affirmative object relations perspectives helps Autistic clients feel greater senses of safety, control, and empowerment in their lives. Before I became a therapist, I supervised a community facilitation program for Autistic and Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled people. Unlike ABA therapy, we built circles of support to help create safer, more resourceful relationships in families, neighborhoods, and communities. These previous experiences inform the care I provide my clients today.