Specialty
Autism Therapy
Who can benefit from autism support therapy?
Being autistic shapes how you experience the world, connect with others, and navigate daily life, and everyone's experience looks different. While some autistic people thrive with little support, others face challenges with sensory overwhelm, social communication, executive functioning, or co-occurring anxiety and depression that can affect confidence, relationships, and wellbeing.
At Havencrest Wellness & Counseling, we provide compassionate, neurodivergent-affirming therapy for autistic teens and adults throughout Washington. Our licensed therapists work collaboratively with you to understand your experiences, build on your strengths, and develop practical strategies rooted in acceptance.
Take the first step today by scheduling an appointment with one of our therapists.
- Understanding a new diagnosis
- — Making sense of a recent autism diagnosis and learning how it relates to your experiences, strengths, and needs.
- Feeling overwhelmed or overstimulated
- — Managing sensory differences, emotional overwhelm, or environments that feel difficult to navigate.
- Social communication and relationships
- — Building confidence in communication, understanding social expectations, or navigating friendships, family relationships, or the workplace.
- Emotional regulation
- — Learning strategies to understand and manage emotions during periods of stress, frustration, or overwhelm.
- Managing anxiety or low mood
- — Experiencing anxiety, depression, or emotional distress alongside autism.
- Changes and transitions
- — Navigating changes in routine, education, employment, relationships, or major life transitions.
- Identity and self-understanding
- — Exploring what autism means to you while building self-awareness, confidence, and self-acceptance.
- Executive functioning challenges
- — Finding organization, planning, time management, or completing everyday tasks difficult.
- Supporting autistic children or teenagers
- — Helping families better understand autism while strengthening communication and relationships.
- Masking and burnout
- — Feeling exhausted from hiding autistic traits, meeting others' expectations, or constantly adapting to different environments.
Depending on your unique needs and goals, you may also find support through our anxiety, depression, ADHD, family therapy, child and teen therapy, or culturally responsive therapy services.
Understanding autism and neurodivergence
Autism is a neurodevelopmental difference that influences how people experience, understand, and interact with the world around them. Every autistic person has their own strengths, preferences, challenges, and ways of communicating.
Autism is not something that needs to be “fixed.” Instead, therapy focuses on understanding your unique experiences, building on your strengths, and developing practical strategies that support your wellbeing and help you navigate everyday life in ways that feel authentic to you.
Many autistic individuals also experience anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma-related difficulties, or periods of burnout. Understanding your whole experience allows us to develop a personalized approach that reflects your unique strengths, experiences, values, and goals.
How we support autistic individuals
Our goal is to help you better understand yourself, build on your strengths, and develop practical strategies that support lasting emotional wellbeing and everyday functioning. Your therapy is tailored to your unique experiences, strengths, communication style, sensory preferences, and goals.
Depending on your unique needs and goals, therapy may include:
Understanding thought patterns (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you better understand the connection between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Together, you'll identify patterns that may be contributing to anxiety, low mood, or emotional distress while developing practical coping strategies that support lasting wellbeing.
Learn more about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) →Building emotional regulation skills (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) helps strengthen emotional regulation, manage distress, improve relationships, and develop practical coping strategies for navigating everyday challenges in ways that feel sustainable.
Learn more about Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) →Supporting co-occurring conditions
Many autistic individuals also experience anxiety, depression, ADHD, or other mental health challenges. When appropriate, we provide integrated support that recognizes how these experiences may interact while tailoring therapy to your unique needs and goals.
Family and relationship support
Autism can influence family relationships, parenting, communication, and social connections. Therapy can help strengthen understanding, improve communication, and support healthier relationships with those who matter most to you.
Learn more about Family Therapy →What to expect during autism support therapy
Your first session is focused on understanding your experiences, current challenges, strengths, and goals.
Together, you and your therapist will:
- Build a trusting therapeutic relationship where you feel heard, respected, and understood.
- Explore your experiences, strengths, and the challenges that are most important to you.
- Work collaboratively with you to develop personalized therapy goals.
- Begin introducing practical strategies that support your wellbeing and everyday life.
- Regularly review your progress together, adapting your approach as your needs and goals evolve.
As therapy progresses, you'll continue developing practical skills that build on your strengths, support your wellbeing, and help you navigate everyday life with greater confidence.
If meeting in person isn't convenient, we also offer secure telehealth appointments throughout Washington.
Insurance
Insurance coverage for autism therapy varies by provider and plan. Our team is happy to help you understand your benefits, verify your coverage, and discuss your options before your first appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Do you diagnose autism?
Yes. Havencrest Wellness & Counseling offers comprehensive autism assessments for children, teens, and adults. Our clinicians use evidence-based assessment methods to better understand your experiences and determine whether they are consistent with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). If an assessment is appropriate, we'll guide you through the process, explain what to expect, and discuss the findings with you in a clear, supportive, and collaborative way. Afterward, we can also provide ongoing therapy tailored to your strengths, needs, and goals.
Can therapy help with masking and autistic burnout?
Yes. Therapy can help you better understand the impact of masking, recognize signs of burnout, build healthier coping strategies, and identify ways to support your wellbeing while remaining true to yourself. If masking or burnout is affecting your emotional wellbeing, you may also find support through our stress and burnout, anxiety, or depression services.
Is online autism therapy available?
Yes. Many autistic individuals find telehealth therapy offers greater comfort and flexibility. Your therapist will work collaboratively with you to determine whether telehealth or in-person therapy is the best fit based on your needs, goals, and preferences.
Have a question that isn't answered here? Contact us, or read our full FAQs.
Schedule your first appointment today.
Autism isn't something to be fixed. We'll help you build on your strengths and find the therapist whose approach feels right for you.