‘ Becoming the Truest Version of Yourself ’: The Experiences of Person‐Centred Counsellors Working With Autistic People in Structured Primary Care Therapy Services

ABSTRACT

Autistic people experience depression at a higher rate than those who are not autistic. In England, therapy for depression is primarily delivered through NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression (NHS TTad) services. These services are highly structured and deliver evidence‐based therapies; one of the evidence‐based therapies delivered in these services is Person‐Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression (PCE‐CfD). There are no studies describing how PCE‐CfD is offered to autistic people in NHS TTad. This paper presents the experience of six person‐centred counsellors in working with autistic people in NHS TTad. Counsellors were interviewed and the interviews were analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Counsellors experience tensions between their identity as person‐centred counsellors and a perceived and/or expected need to adapt to the needs of autistic people. This tension, and the ways in which counsellors respond and manage their responses, is evident across all emerging themes. The results are discussed in the context of the literature on counselling with autistic people. Implications for future research and counsellor training are discussed.